Anything Goes
by Applauze
Summary: When Cody leaves The Drama Brothers, he has a hard time establishing a solo career until Heather comes along and asks him to make a jazz album. When their career exceeds that of the Drama Brothers, they find themselves on a dangerous path as someone from their past tries to ruin their lives when the teens reunite for a ten-year reunion special. Gift for Lowland Warrior.
1. Chapter 1

_One_

 _-I don't belong in the world but that's what it is. Something separates me from other people. Everywhere I turn, there's something blocking my escape- (John Clifford)_

* * *

No one suspected that they would get big, but by sheer will and determination, The Drama Brothers became the most popular boyband in the Western hemisphere. After Total Drama Action ended, the contestants were released from their contracts, with an option to come back for later seasons if desired, and were allowed to go home. While some went on to become famous, others choose to stay out of the spotlight and try to resume a normal life as much as they could. In this period of transition, Trent got an idea to form a band from some of the guys from Total Drama and quickly asked all of the contestants if they would like to join. He only managed to get Cody, Harold, and Justin on board with the idea, and so, with just four members, The Drama Brothers were born.

It didn't take long for them to get picked up by a label and started recording songs. The first six months were spent recording demos and writing songs that were considered for their debut album. But their management didn't like any of the material, so they spent a month re-working songs and scrapping ideas that none of them agreed on, but even that didn't impress the label. The songs were still considered to be too non-pop and so, they spent another two months just listening to songs from different genres and artists from the past twenty years in order to figure out what mainstream sound they wanted. After deciding on modern pop, they went back to the drawing board, and three songs that were performed during their time on Island, "Summer Bummer", "One Woman", and "Girl Blues" were recorded and became the first songs to be included on their yet to be announced album.

In order to get hype for their album, "Summer Bummer" was released while more recording sessions were being held, and the single was met with general acclaim, though it reached only to number fourteen on the music charts. Despite it not being a smash hit, it was more than enough to give the band attention. "Gone", "Your Pawn", "Ask Me to Dance", and "Baby" was also added to their upcoming album, but it was a last minute idea before the album's mixing that would bring the beginning of their fame.

The night before the album's mixing, they had finished up four tracks and were about to leave when Justin was messing around on the guitar and sang, "When I cry, my eyes are wet." and stopped mid-string. He quickly grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote the lyric down, but changed it to, "When I cry, my eye is wet" before adding, "I swear it ain't guy sweat" but crossed it out and wrote, "And I swear it wasn't guy sweat". The other three quickly took turns writing lyrics down and within a half hour, they had the song finished. They went to the recording booth and with some improvised beats from Harold, did a demo in one take. When their managers heard it, they were so impressed that other than adding background music, left the demo untouched and it was the last song to make the cut of the album. The producers were so blown away by it, that they asked the band to release it as their next single. The guys were reluctant to at first, but after thinking about it unanimously agreed to do so.

"When I Cry" took airwaves by storm and debuted at number one on the music charts, quickly becoming the band's first single to both debut and peak at number one. Soon afterward, the band's prior single re-charted to number three and "When I Cry" became the song of the summer. While not an official single, "Baby" also managed to reach number one, giving the guys two number one hits before their album even dropped.

A month after "When I Cry" was released, The Drama Brothers announced that their debut album, Ask Me to Dance, would drop in September. When the album was finally released, it went straight to number one on the album charts and sold over half a million copies in its first week. They released "Ask Me to Dance" as the album's third and final official single (fourth single overall) and it became their third consecutive number one single. By the end of the year, the guys had been nominated for a large number of awards, including Best New Artist, Song, and Record of the Year at the Grammys. After winning most of the awards from numerous award shows, along with Best New Artist at the Grammys, they announced a tour that would last a year and would start in Europe, go through the States, followed by a month-long break before finishing off with a concert in each province of Canada.

The tour went off without a hitch and when they weren't performing, they were out partying and having fun while thinking of ideas for their next album, but they didn't realize that they were about to hit a bump in the road that would change the course of the future.

* * *

While most of the band was preparing for their final concert of the tour, Cody was backstage resting up for the concert that he wasn't looking forward to doing. Being with the guys was fun and exciting; they had been going on non-stop for over two years and it was reaching a point that he was starting to get exhausted and overwhelmed from the non-stop touring, performing, and working. The fame was great and the awards were amazing, but he wondered if this was worth it all. If it was worth being tired and drained all the time.

When the guys came by, Cody was sitting on the couch so they all flopped down next to him. "Are you ready for this last concert?" Trent asked with a hit of excitement.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Cody mumbled. "though I do wish we take a few months off to relax and casually record the album."

"I don't see the need to when we're at the top of our game," Harold added.

"I know that we're at the top of our game, but we shouldn't let that get to our heads and work ourselves to death." Cody reasoned.

"Cody, you have nothing to worry about. Why rest now when you can party now and rest later?" Trent asked.

"He has a point," Justin added.

"Are you guys even seeing the point I'm trying to make?"

"What point?" Harold replied, puzzled.

"The point that we shouldn't move too fast. We should develop ourselves and mature, not keep pumping out materials about the same cliches which are in most modern songs."

Harold was about to explode, but luckily, Trent saw what might happen and stepped in to do damage control. "Guys, let's not blow any gaskets now. We got plenty time to iron things out but please, it's our last concert. Do you want our tour to end on a bad note?"

"Well no."

"I guess not."

"I guess that settles it. We better go and get changed. We'll be having fans back here soon."

Cody just sighed and headed to his dressing room. He couldn't believe that their conversation went nowhere and would be pushed back to later. He didn't understand why the guys kept pushing his point back for a later date? That's not what he wanted to do. He wanted to prove his point now instead of later, but he always had to go with the flow. That's what the guys wanted.

While he got ready for his show appearance, mostly finding his hat, gold chains, and sunglasses, Cody thought back to the interview they recorded for "Celebrity Manhunt".

* * *

 _Cody and the others sat together facing Josh while the camera crew started recording the interview which would air when their stadium tour across each province of Canada started. Josh took a deep breath, "Good evening everyone. Tonight, we're doing an exclusive interview with The Drama Brothers about their rise to fame, their appearance at the Grammys, and a few other items of interest."_

 _Josh pauses while he gets his cue cards together. "First off, thank you guys so much for this interview. Tell me, when you guys started, did you expect to become this famous?"_

 _"Well," Trent replied, "not really. We never expected all that's happened too much. Forming the band and getting a year's worth of revisions to our first album Ask Me to Dance was challenging, but we weren't expecting the global hit we've become."_

 _"You guys have sold over two million albums, had three number one hits, won a Grammy for Best New Artist, and got a new record deal all within a year. How did this come about?"_

 _"It all started when we released "When I Cry" as a single. Justin wrote the first draft of the song and we all pitched in together and our management loved it that the first take was used on the album, and was released as a single. We had no idea that it would launch us to stardom and make us successful from our first album." Harold stated._

 _"You guys seem to enjoy the spotlight, especially at award shows. Is this due to the time you spent on Total Drama Island?"_

 _"I think so_ , _" Justin added._

 _"When you all were at the Grammys and won Best New Artist, how did it feel to be recognized for that achievement?"_

 _"It was awesome. Like, we had just performed and was backstage and I had taken my shoes off when they announced us. So here we go running to the stage and when I realized that I forgot my shoes, I said, 'Aw shit, not how I wanted to be introduced accepting an award' while everyone laughed it off. Just receiving that honor from such a prestigious award show is something that we will always cherish. I say that we'll be back again." Cody promised._

 _"You guys are on tour right now. How has the tour experience been?"_

 _"How can you describe it? Like, you see a stadium full of your fans performing, dancing, and singing along with your music and it becomes a moment you never forget. And getting to meet the fans is amazing, though sometimes overwhelming." Justin replied._

 _"When Justin says that meeting the fans are overwhelming is he correct?"_

 _Trent commented, "He is. Sometimes, they're not bad, but they hound you down if you ever step out on the streets. It was so bad in New York that we could only go out late at night, but then there wasn't that much to do so it was kinda disappointing that we didn't get to enjoy New York as much as we hoped to."_

 _"Speaking of New York, there was a lot of media coverage when Cody tweeted that he had written a song when you guys were there and it had been recorded. If it's not too much trouble, could you fill the audience in?"_

 _"Well," Cody hesitated,"while the guys mostly went to Manhattan, I wanted to see Brooklyn since that was where part of my family came from before moving up to Canada during the twenties. There was just something about seeing it at night that drew me away so I wrote lyrics on our way home and had the music composed when we arrived back in Toronto. While we spent a month off, we went and recorded this song and thought of some other ideas for songs, made a few demos, that kind of work."_

 _"If it's alright, could you guys sing a sample verse for the audience watching this?"_

 _The guys thought for a moment and wanted their fans to get pumped for the concert and what else would come down the road, so the four of them paused and started singing together,_

 _ **"We thought that it was you  
Yet we thought that it was me  
We both seemed like a perfect fit  
Though it was never really lit  
Those Brooklyn Nights made us seem free."**_

 _"Wonderful!" Josh cried out as he clapped. "Just wonderful! I'm guessing that the song is called Brooklyn Nights?"_

 _"Correct." All of the guys answered._

 _"Since our time is almost up, I have one final question. From that fact that you guys have recorded a song and are working on something, does this indicate that a new album is being made?"_

 _"Nothing is being revealed right now. We're just recording and writing new stuff for down the road, however long that may be. More will be revealed when the time comes." Harold commented._

* * *

There was so much that Josh had no idea about. They were making a new record, they had spent the last few months writing songs, doing demos, and recording final versions of a few songs, but the whole process turned out to be a bigger mess than intended.

While on the month-long break, they had recorded "Brooklyn Nights" and a few other songs, but the theme and intention of the album remained unknown. Harold wanted a more hip-hop and rap influence while Cody argued that they should focus on more contemporary sounds. This lead to them recording demos and writing lyrics that made enough material for two albums as well as a disagreement over the direction to head in. Cody wanted them to have a more mature sound while Harold wanted to keep it at the band boy sound they were made famous for. Harold wrote more songs overall, but Cody wrote more songs for Justin and Trent to work on, which resulted in hardly any songs being recorded except for the five they did prior to the disagreement. While damage control was worked on, a simple disagreement soon turned into a full out feud between Harold and Cody that was about to come crashing down.

Cody just ran his hands over his face. He was tired of the non-stop work, the arguing, the disagreements. Perhaps if they just took a break then all would be well-

His train of thoughts was stopped when he heard a knock on the door. "Cody, time for us to meet the fans who're backstage."

"Coming!" He replied while grabbing his hat and putting it on.

* * *

Most of the concert went off without a hitch. Considering that this was the last concert of the tour, the stadium was full and there were more fans outside, all of whom came to see The Drama Brothers close their tour off with a bang. Everyone held up pretty well, the numbers went off without any issue, and things were beginning to look up until they reached the last, and their most popular, song "When I Cry".

The Drama Brothers sang this as the closure to each concert they performed at since it was their most well-known song and it had to be saved for last. As the guys started to sing the lyrics, the audience roared and they knew what was coming up, but while everyone was in the zone, Cody was starting to cry. He was trying to focus on the music, but his mind had reached his limit. He was just too tired to keep up with everything. As the song progressed, he kept crying until he broke down into sobs and his emotions overtook him.

The guys knew something was up when they didn't hear his vocals in the background, but they didn't want to stop the song so they kept going, without Cody or the keyboards, which the fans noticed but the remaining Drama Brothers did not. As soon as they finished, the confetti for their closure opened up and while the audience roared, they were still confused as to what happened with Cody. As they left, they were filled with more questions than answers and the guys noticed that he had left the stage since when they walked toward their dressing room, they saw that he wasn't at the keyboard.

* * *

When the guys went into their dressing room, they didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until they heard sobbing from the bathroom. Moments later, Cody came out with tears running down his face and his eyes were red and puffy. "I'm sorry guys." He mumbled as he cried even more.

He tried to speak to them, but he was a mess and just sobbed as he sat down. "God, I don't know what's wrong with me." He mumbled dejectedly.

"Are you okay Cody?" Trent asked, crouching down next to him. "I've never seen you like this before and it has me worried."

"I agree with Trent. I'm concerned about you." Justin added.

Cody just looked up at his two friends while wiping the tears from his eyes. "I wish I was okay. I've been overwhelmed and tired and everything's been moving too fast. I just wish we had a break. We need rest!"

"Maybe you're like this because you're the only one who worked on anything while we were having fun." Harold pointed out.

Cody shot his head up and looked straight at Harold, taking it very wrong. "What does that supposed to mean?"

"Look, being on tour was a time for you to relax and to have fun, not write new songs and get music ideas."

"A time to relax?! I was always the first one to bed and last one up every day! I didn't come back drunk or had sex every night with the fans! I was responsible! I was manageable! I was simple! I worked on music so that we could have time to unwind and rest after going non-stop for two years! And this coming from the guy that has encouraged us to move at a fast pace without giving us time to allow our bodies to adjust."

While Harold was normally calm during these disagreements with Cody, this one had gone too far and so, Harold exploded.

"What the fuck is your deal man?!" He yelled. "Are you trying to create drama?"

"I am causing drama? Have you not looked in the mirror lately, you asshole?! You used to be a likable guy and I enjoyed being around you, but fame has made your ego larger than life! It's about time that someone brings you back down to reality." Cody replied.

"At least I'm not the one who was born rich!"

"At least I'm not the one who acts like white trash!"

"At least I got a girlfriend!"

"At least I have more talent than what you have!"

"Guys, can we just calm down and settle this in an orderly fashion?" Trent asked, standing in between the two to avoid physical conflict.

"No, and stay out of this." Cody barked. "There's no room for you in this argument."

"Yes, there is since I'm the lead singer and enough is enough!" Trent yelled after finally losing his patience. Normally, he was the cool one of the band, but after seeing this fight between Harold and Cody, he just couldn't take it anymore.

Trent's outburst stunned Cody and Harold into silence they never recalled him exploding at them, ever. Meanwhile, Trent just took a calm breath and sighed. "Look, fighting isn't going to help solve this issue and we can't afford to have all this negative drama on us. So, with all of the circumstances, I only see one choice."

"You don't mean-"

"Yes, Justin. That."

He slowly turned toward Cody. "Man, I love you, but-"

"Please tell me this is not what I think it is," Cody said quickly while trying to wipe the tears from his face.

"It is what you think." Trent replied, "And while I love you to death, seeing that you're suffering from a small nervous breakdown and that you have a feud with Harold, I see no choice but to let you go."

"What?"

"Cody, you're no longer a Drama Brother."

For a while, after Trent spoke, there was a silence between the four guys that none of them knew. It was unfamiliar and quiet, but at the same time, it was a burden. The friction had been completed and there was no going back.

"Is it because I'm not a good artist?" Cody finally asked, breaking the silence.

Trent hesitated to reply. "Well…"

"So it is true! I knew it!" He yelled back.

"Knew what?"

"Knew that you and Trent never thought of me as a legit artist." Cody snapped at Harold. "You two have been trying to get rid of me since you never liked my ideas or my music or my song lyrics. You just want to make me look like a fool."

With this, Cody got up and grabbed his bags. "Honestly, *** you both. I will reinvent myself and prove to you all that I have what it takes to be in this industry."

As he left, Harold snarled, "You'll never be a true artist."

Cody started to reply but just shook it off while walking away. He was just tired of the fighting and all he wanted to do was go home and try to prevent his life from spiraling further out of control.

* * *

When news broke out days later that Cody was out of the band, it took the media by storm. No one was expecting this, so it made quite a buzz. Although there were a lot of questions, The Drama Brothers issued a statement that plainly said that Cody was removed due to creative differences within the band. The press tried to get a statement from Cody, he refused to talk and fired his managers since they were doing more harm than good to him during this time of uncertainty.

As the days passed, Cody never left his apartment. He drunk and got high on dope, primarily heroin. He never drank or had done drugs before, but they were his escape from the reality that was outside his doors. Days turned into weeks, and Cody kept spiraling out of control with his addictions until he had a more severe nervous breakdown than what he had the night of the last concert. This one resulted in him trashing his apartment while drunk and after he became sober, he realized the mess that he was in and decided that he needed help. His life was out of control and if he didn't get the professional help that he needed, it was going to kill him.

He drove out of Toronto and didn't stop until he reached Montreal and voluntarily checked himself into the Douglas Mental Health University Institute voluntary. News outlets gathered outside the hospital to see if any information could be revealed and when it was, newspapers all over Canada and the world printed headlines that received his nervous breakdown and addiction in a negative light.

For Cody, it was a horrible time to be alive.

* * *

 **Surprise everyone! I'm back and better than ever. As you guys may have seen from my profile, this fanfic is my swan song on here, but I believe this is the best work I've ever done. The goal of this story is to make it ten chapters, plus a conclusion from Lowland Warrior, but it may get up to twelve chapters (thirteen max with the conclusion). I won't say much more about the story. I'll let you all do that for me.**

 **And special thanks to Lowland Warrior for once again helping me out and being the beta reader for this story. This is for you and for everything that you've done!**

 **Until next time! Please read, review, favor, alert, and spread the word.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Two_

 _-A self that goes on changing is a self that goes on living- (Virginia Woolf)_

* * *

It had been months since Cody checked himself into the hospital following his nervous breakdown, but it felt like a lifetime for him. Each day was a struggle to cope with trying to get over the pain that he dealt with while having a positive outlook on the future. As time went on, though, Cody started to recover little by little. He found joy in writing, meditation, and gardening. The grounds were always being tended by Cody and on most days, visitors could see him going around planting and pulling up weeds while wearing a gardener's outfit. Most former celebrities would be horrified at doing labor as a sort of therapy. For Cody, though, it was a way to show that he was determined to recover, to bounce back from this, and to survive on his own.

Meditation was also a good way to help him. Whenever he was having a bad day, Cody would light some candles within his room, that was provided by the staff, and he would close everything off while playing forest sounds. It helped to get rid of any negative energy that was in him and to not make him think of anything that could trigger a negative response within his mind. He also took to writing and wrote poems and pages full of philosophical thoughts. He found relief in philosophy as it helped him to understand more about himself and the world around him, particularly that of the philosopher Rainer Maria Rilke whose words spoke to him about the difficulty of expressing one's thoughts and how solitude is what troubles society.

But while Cody was recovering, he still questioned himself about how this happened. Was this really the band's fault? Did they push him to this? Or was it his own doom that caused it all? Was it his overworking management that made the wire snap? These questions kept swimming across his mind and he wanted to seek the answers that could or could not solve these questions.

* * *

The afternoon sun was out and about and Cody was at work planting some more flowers for the gardens on the hospital grounds. While it was rather humid, he didn't mind. He had a hat on that not only protected him from the sun but protected him from any members of the press of curious visitors since he didn't want to be known by any other than the staff. The media had a field day when the news broke out, so he was going to deny them the right to add any more to the negative light put on him.

Cody was so focused on planting that he didn't notice a person standing next to him until he saw their shadow. "Oh, hello Dr. Reed. Didn't notice that it was you."

"Who did you think I was? Some member of the press?" Dr. Reed replied.

"Yes, and I would've thrown dirt in their faces," Cody added. He stood up and dusted himself. "I'm glad that it's you though."

"I've noticed that you've been hard at work in the garden." Dr. Reed said while the two of them sat down on a nearby bench.

"Are you proud of the work?"

"I am Cody. I'm always proud of the work that you do around here."

"Well, I'm glad you allowed me to garden the grounds. Not only does it give my arms their daily exercise, but I get the prescribed amount of Vitamin D and it also keeps my mind off of any negative thoughts while looking forward to whatever the future may bring."

"Funny that you mentioned your future. That's what I came to talk to you about." Dr. Reed said while looking back at Cody. "In case you don't remember, you've been here for several months now."

"Already? It feels like I've been here much longer." Cody replied.

"And during this time period, I've kept close observations and detailed notes about your condition, progress, and treatment. Needless to say, your progress has gone further than what I first estimated so there's a good chance that you could get released soon."

Hearing Dr. Reed's words took the breath out of Cody. He sat there speechless, not knowing what to believe. Did he hear Dr. Reed correctly? Was there really a chance that he could be released soon? Had it been months already since he admitted himself? And was it possible that he was stable enough mentally and psychologically to be released?

"Do you think so Dr. Reed?"

"I do, Cody, but there are a few things I need to know before deciding if you're ready to be discharged or not."

"Such as?"

"Well, I don't mean a few things. I actually want to know one thing. Will you be okay after you leave here?"

"What kind of question is that Dr. Reed?"

"A question that can decide your fate."

Cody paused for a moment while trying to think of the right answer to say since he didn't want to give Dr. Reed the wrong impression and result in not getting the closure that he wanted. He finally broke the silence. "I'll be okay. It may take a while to get back on my feet, but I'm going to take it day by day now, and see where the future leads me. I'm going to find things that can keep my mind off of the dark memories in my mind and see if I can find happiness in work again."

"And by work you mean music?"

"Correct, but this time, I won't let fame and pressure be an issue. I want to be an artist who does his own thing and goes at his own pace while showing that I can be relevant during times of uncertainty."

"What do you mean by times of uncertainty?"

"Usually when people transition out of one era and into another. They're uncertain what the future will bring them so artistic people usually tend to help out by expressing that uncertainty within their work and make it easier for more people to accept a new era."

"Well, I believe this will help decide if you're ready to be released." Dr. Reed commented as he got up. "I shouldn't keep you from your gardening, but expect to hear some news soon."

"Alright, Dr. Reed and thank you so much," Cody replied while he went back to work.

It was three weeks later that Cody got the news. He would be discharged in a few days and could go back home. Just hearing the news made Cody's heart leap. He wanted to go home so badly. He missed his apartment and wanted nothing more than to sleep in his own bed again. The whole time that he was in Montreal, he had paid his rent, paid for the cleanup done to his apartment after he trashed it and sent extra money to cover anything else while away. He made a mental note to find a house as soon as he got back.

* * *

On the day of his discharge, Cody packed up what few things he acquired, with most of it being the loose pages that he wrote while recovering, and headed home. The whole time, he kept wondering how much had changed in the six months that he was away from the public eye. At least he didn't have to face the public eye yet since the hospital kept news of his release a secret and Cody had large sunglasses over his eyes so he wouldn't be noticeable.

When he arrived in Toronto, Cody didn't much of a drive to his apartment. He lived on Parkway Forest Drive, which was four minutes away from the main highway, and twenty minutes from the eastern boundaries of the city.

After a short drive through Toronto, he arrived at his apartment. He got the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He stepped inside and paused in the doorway. He looked around the apartment and sighed. There was work to be done.

It took several days, but he cleaned his apartment of any trace that he was in The Drama Brothers. He threw out pictures, sheet music, scraps of song lyrics, donated all of his boy band clothes and accessories to nearly by thrift shops, sent back the awards that he received from his former label and all of the award shows he attended, and even went onto all of his old social media accounts and wiped everything out, so that nothing could remind him of the past. The one thing that he did keep was the grand piano bought for him as a Christmas gift since he was going to work on some stuff he started while recovering in the hospital. For Cody, it was time to start with a clean slate and to move on with his life.

Once when that was taken care of, Cody sat down and worked on the song ideas he developed months earlier. He remembered Dr. Reed telling him that he should put bits of his life into his work to make it rawer and powerful on an emotional level. He had written two poems, one over his dope addiction and one over him using Heroin, but they were rough drafts and jumbled up. Cody had also written two melodies that were in his head. "I know these are poems, but what if I reworked them to go into song form?" Cody asked himself. "It's worth a shot."

He went to the piano and started playing the middle part of the melody while reading,

 ** _"Toast one last puff_**  
 ** _And fill the wind blow  
I have nothing left anymore  
This drug is my only escape  
I've fucked up again  
I have no friends left to go  
I hate myself and just want to die."_**

Cody paused. He had chills down his spine and every hair on his body stood up. He knew that he had the right melody so quickly without a thought, he grabbed a piece of sheet music and started to write the melody using keys and worked on changing the poem into lyric format without losing the message behind the words that he wrote. Hours went by, and by then, Cody had not only completed "Dope" but got a good chunk of a second song called "Heroin" started on, but the lyrics weren't adding up so he decided to put it off to the side for a while.

While he was getting ready for bed, Cody reminded himself to start contacting agents and managers that would be interested working with him on his own terms and to start contacting record labels to see if they would like to reach a deal about him making a solo album. "I'm a former Drama Brother," Cody thought, "and surely they would be interested in having me work with them right?"

Turned out that Cody was wrong. He was wrong big time.

Despite the fact that he was a former Drama Brothers member, no one wanted to either hire him or work for him. It didn't help that they would mention that the band was working on an album and Cody wondered if they did that just to get under his skin, but if so, they failed since he used Dr. Reed's advice and didn't let them get the best of him. Anyways, Cody contacted all of the major talent agencies and record labels in Canada, all of whom turned him down. So he contacted agencies and record labels in the States, Europe, Australia, and even Asia, all to no avail. He did get one offer from Korea, but he would've had to join a boy band, which all but killed the deal for him.

Months went by and Cody was using the last of his savings just to stay afloat. He was so broke that he pawned his pocket watch just to buy food. It was then that he fully realized that unless some miracle happened soon, he was going to lose the apartment and would end up homeless. But he vowed to never let that happen, even if it meant ending his chances at a solo career.

Luckily for him, though, fate would bring an opportunity that would change everything.

* * *

After two months of trying, Cody decided that he needed to get his mind off of all of the defeats. Normally, he would go home and just sleep it off, but he hadn't been out much during that time so he decided to hit a bar a few blocks from his apartment and see if that would help.

It wasn't that far of a walk. When he arrived, he saw someone performing a few numbers but he didn't pay much attention at first. While drinking a beer, he couldn't get much of a view but saw that a woman with a bun and strapless dress was on stage. While he couldn't see much of her face due to the poor lighting, her voice sounded familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

A few minutes went by and another performer came on and the lady headed toward the bar where Cody was sitting. She sat on the stool next to him and ordered a martini. Cody was able to have a good look at her and when he saw her raven-colored hair and distinct Asian eyes, he knew only one person that had those distinct features.

"Hey." He calmly told her.

"Urg, what do you want shrimp face?" She asked. "Can't you see that I'm annoyed?"

"Annoyed at what?" He asked.

"Some guy tried to grope me and when I tried to fight back, the manager fired me," Heather told as she swallowed her martini in one go.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Cody replied.

"Please, save your sympathy for someone that cares."

"Well, considering that we were teammates at one time, I thought that you would've cared."

"Teammates? Who are you actually?"

"Heather, it's me. Cody."

"Cody who? I know a lot of Cody's."

"Cody Anderson! You know, the geeky nerd from Total Drama!" Cody told without realizing he said that aloud.

"Wha-" Heather started to reply, but stopped mid-sentence when she saw who it was. "Cody?" They looked at each for a moment before Heather blurted out, "It is you! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have spoken to you like that." She apologized, though still in a typical Heather way.

"It's fine. I've been called worse before but I never thought I'd see another person from the show in Toronto." Cody added.

"Me neither," Heather replied. "Say, do you want to go back to my apartment and catch up instead of here? I don't want anymore groping to happen tonight."

"Sure. Besides, it's starting to get boring in here."

"Alright. Hope you don't mind walking since I live just a few blocks from here."

"Fine by me."

* * *

It didn't take long for them to walk a few blocks back to Heather's apartment. As she was unlocking the door, Cody couldn't help but notice that the apartment looked identical to his. "Is this where you live?" He asked.

Heather replied, "Well duh. I wouldn't be unlocking the door if I wasn't."

"You're right. Besides, I actually live a few apartments down, number 25."

"I didn't know that. Well, it's nice to know that I have a neighbor that I know." Heather muttered with ambiguous interest.

Heather unlocked the apartment and they stepped inside. Cody was impressed that Heather's apartment had a modern flair to it with posters of jazz musicians and a few other art pieces decorating the walls, compared to the bare walls he had in his apartment. "Do you want a drink?" Heather asked while in the kitchen.

Cody paused for a moment. "Sure." He finally answered. "I'm sorry that you got fired."

"Don't be. The bastard will drown in his own sorrows if they can learn how to swim." Heather added while she came back around with two wine glasses and poured some wine in them and handed Cody one. "Huh, I actually feel better now that I said that. So what have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing much really. I'm just trying to find work to keep food on the table, but no one wants to hire me ever since the debacle that went on months ago. I'm sure you know about that."

"Actually I don't. Can you fill me in?"

"Are you pulling my leg, Heather?"

"No, I'm not Cody. I hardly watch any tv, I don't go on the web much since I'm mostly out all the time so I'm completely in the dark about what went down with you."

"Alright," Cody commented while taking a sip of wine, "so as you know, I was part of The Drama Brothers, made an album, went on tour, that kind of thing. Well, it was when we started touring through here that things got sour."

"What happened?" Heather asked.

"Well, we started work on our second album, that's probably been scrapped since I was kicked out, and me and the guys started to have creative differences. Harold wanted more of a rap/hip-hop sound, Trent and Justin wanted to continue the same sound we've been doing, and I wanted to start heading more toward a mature older adult kind of sound. Does that make sense?"

"It does."

"We tried to not think much about it, but it started to bring tension between mainly Harold and me, which escalated at our last concert. It was the end of the show and we always performed our hit song, "When I Cry" and I would normally be fine, but that night, I was just overwhelmed and tired of two years non-stop work and so, I had a nervous breakdown and became an emotional mess.

"While trying to apologize, Harold and I lashed out and it got to the point where they kicked me out of the band. It didn't help that I was suffering from a drinking problem and drugs at the time so I spent several weeks just drinking and snorting my days away until I realized that I needed help. So I drove to Montreal and checked into a top mental hospital and spent several months recovering and learning how to better myself and to not be dependent on drugs or alcohol. I came home two months ago, looking for a label to pick me up for a solo album and an agent, but nobody wants to hire me or be my agent. So that's pretty much it."

"Oh wow," Heather commented, "I had no idea all of that went down. I'm glad that you're doing okay now."

"Thank you. It's been rough for a while, but even though I'm better, I can't help but wonder if it was my fault. A part of me wants to blame the guys, but a part of me thinks that I shouldn't have written music and lyrics on tour and work overtime, but I wanted to-"

"Look Cody. It's not your fault. Don't think that. Don't blame yourself. It was the guys' fault. Simple as that."

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think so."

"Oh yeah, you're right. Well enough about me. What's been happening to you, Heather?"

"Honestly not much. I've been here a few months trying to establish a career of my own."

"What are you wanting to do?" Cody asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Heather replied.

"Yes, I would," Cody added. "You believed me when I was blaming myself earlier. Come on Heather, I know you. There's nothing you could do that wouldn't surprise me."

"Really?" Heather asked. "Alright, here goes. I'm working on becoming a jazz singer."

The answer surprised Cody. He wasn't even sure anymore whether he was talking to the same Heather he knew from two seasons. "Yeah. I don't believe you. I'm having a hard time now picturing you singing jazz."

"Well not many people know this but ever since I was a little girl, I loved jazz. My parents always played it and I loved hearing the instruments and the real voices that the singers had. By the time I was six, I had fallen in love with singers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and Billie Holiday. She was my favorite singer. I always remember coming home from school and playing jazz while doing my homework and I always dreamed of singing jazz one day. So when I turned thirteen, I started practicing jazz and sung at community events and people thought I was good."

"If you always loved jazz, how come you seem to be the type of person that hates it?"

"I blame High School. As a Freshman, my love for jazz reached an all-time high as I would always sing it and dress classy to implicate Ella and Billie. I even joined my High School's jazz band and I thought everything was perfect, but it wasn't. I found out that people made fun of me behind my back and it tore me up. They thought that I was just a copycat and could run me over because I had no backbone. Needless to say, my heart turned icy and I thought about nothing but revenge. So I started doing all of the popular things and changed everything about me. It worked as I became a force not to be trifled with."

"But all that time, did you still miss the jazz?"

"I did. Even on the show, I wanted to sing so badly and show that I was talented, but everyone thought that I was something that I'm not and-" Heather couldn't continue since she was starting to cry. "Excuse me. I'm just not used to crying much." She commented while grabbing a tissue to dry her eyes.

"It's alright. I should apologize. I shouldn't have doubted you." Cody replied.

"No worries. People do all the time so I'm used to it." Heather added. "But I love jazz so much. It allows a person to be who they are without the fear of being labeled. Jazz isn't made for mainstream music. It's made for those who want to find comfort in something real."

"I never thought of it that way before."

"And singing in the clubs isn't the kind of career starter I wanted, but it keeps food on the table and helps pay for the lights while I transition to the next stage."

Heather paused for a moment since she had an idea she hadn't considered before, but talking to Cody made that idea come to life and it might be the thing they're both looking for. "I'm glad we ran into each other. I actually got something to tell you."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Well, I've been signed to a new music label that was just created and they're allowing me to make any kind of music, but I'm sticking with jazz. I was wondering if you would like to work with me."

"Work with you on an album?"

"Yes. We would get or decide everything, right down to the artist, number, and kind of songs that we would cover and if all goes well, we could do a series of albums."

Cody was speechless. He didn't know what to say. While the idea of making music again appealed to him, he hardly knew anything about jazz and didn't know if that kind of music would help him. "I don't know Heather. While it sounds good, I've been used to singing in more of a pop style."

"But didn't it occur to you that while with The Drama Brothers, you were limited in terms of vocal range and that you couldn't reach your full potential or that you had no control over your creativeness and style?"

"Well, it never occurred to me. I-"

"That's why I want you to do an album with me. Not only can you reach your full vocal potential, but you can also control your style and creative mind. No one would be able to take that away from you. Plus, this could be the cure to help you move onto the future."

Cody looked at Heather with an uncertain look. "Just think about it for a few days. Call me when you've made a decision." Heather replied while she gave him her apartment's phone number.

"I will. I think I'll go home now. Night Heather. It was nice meeting you again."

"Goodbye Cody. I hope to hear from you soon."

* * *

Cody tried to sleep, but he couldn't. He kept thinking about Heather's offer and wondered whether or not it was indeed the cure that he was looking for. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that it would be good to try something new. And plus, Heather told him that jazz singers just use their vocals and instruments while going at a slower pace than what most music did.

After spending almost all night thinking and weighing out the factors, Cody reached a decision. He dialed Heather's number and waited for an answer. Moments later, he heard her say, "Hello?"

"Hey Heather, it's Cody." He replied.

"Cody, what are you doing calling this early in the morning? It's almost three."

"Sorry if I woke you up, but this couldn't wait. I reached my decision."

"That fast?" Heather asked. "Alright, what is it?"

"I want to do the album with you," Cody replied.

Cody's answer woke her up. She wasn't expecting him to jump on board that quick. "Really? What changed your mind?"

"I thought about it, and you were right. This could be the cure I need and the opportunity to explore my full potential, and at the same time, that can also help you out also."

"This is wonderful! You have no idea how excited I am!"

"I know. I'm pretty pumped as well."

"Well, I'll arrange a meeting with the label tomorrow and see if we can get you signed and we can start right away."

"Great! Well, I better let you get some sleep since I need some too. Good night Heather! See you tomorrow!"

"Goodnight Cody and don't call so early again, please?"

"Alright, I won't. Night."

"Night."

* * *

The next day, Heather kept her word and arranged a meeting with her label and they were so impressed that not only did they sign him on, but they gave both of them the same manager since they were going to be working together. Now that Cody was signed, the first labor of the jazz album came about, what and who to sing.

Both Cody and Heather decided right away to do covers just to play it safe while testing the waters, but they couldn't decide whose music to cover first so they spent the next week listening to jazz for twelve to sixteen hours a day while writing out ideas that could be developed later on. "So have you decided?" Heather asked on the day they finished up.

"Yes, I have. I know how much Billie Holiday means to you so I'd like for us to do an album of her best songs." Cody replied.

"You'd be willing to sing her songs?"

"Yes. I know how much this means to you and how much of an influence Billie has on you, and plus, I don't think many guys have covered her so it'll be fun."

"You don't have to do her if you don't want to Cody. We could always do someone else."

"Oh no, it's fine Heather. I want to do it."

"This is amazing! We now have to listen to all of her music and make a list of what songs to cover, but first, I wanna take a selfie with you."

"Alright," Cody replied while Heather took out her phone and took some pictures with Cody. "Send one to me and I'll post it on my Instagram."

"Can I post one on my account as well?" Heather asked.

"I won't mind."

Moments later, Cody received a picture from Heather and the two of them started to upload them onto their social medias respectfully.

Cody's picture read, _"So excited to be working with heatherwilson on a special project!"_

Heather's picture said, _"_ Me _and codyanderson are working on something amazing! Details to come at a later date!"_

For their followers and the media, they wondered what two former teen contestants were working on and why it was special. They wanted to find out, but they had to wait while Cody and Heather started work on something that would change everything.

But the public's curiosity was the last thing on their minds as they pulled up Billie's songs and played them while forming the foundations of the album.

* * *

 **And there we have it! I'm a little bit disappointed with FanFiction since they don't allow the at symbol used on social media sites to appear in documents on here so I tried my best to improvise the best I could so hopefully you guys aren't too upset. This will be probably the only time I even mention captions on pictures so you won't have to worry about that again.**

 **But the important part is that the story is starting to pick up a good pace and I hope to resume that pace as the story develops more. However, I must note that I just started college classes so updates between now and December might come when I have days with little or no class work at all.**

 **Again, thanks to Lowland Warrior for beta reading this and helping expand it to its current length.**

 **So until next time! Please read, review, favor, alert, and spread the word. c:**


	3. Chapter 3

_Three_

 _-Jazz stands for freedom. It's supposed to the voice of freedom. Get out there, and improvise, and take chance, and don't be a perfectionist- (Dave Brubeck)_

* * *

It had been a few weeks since Cody and Heather had decided what artist to cover for their first album, the legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday. They spent most of the time listening and re-listening to her recordings and live takes to get a sense of the style and vocal range she had. After spending two weeks listening to her whole discography, it took them another two weeks to decide what tracks they wanted to sing, and after some bickering and compromising, they had a list that looked like this:

 _1\. Gloomy Sunday_  
 _2\. Good Morning Heartache_  
 _3\. I Cried for You_  
 _4\. Some Other Spring_  
 _5\. These Foolish Things_  
 _6\. Willow Weep for Me_  
 _7\. Love Me or Leave Me_  
 _8\. Body and Soul_  
 _9\. You Go To My Head_  
 _10\. Blue Moon_  
 _11\. Don't Explain_  
 _12\. If You Were Mine_  
 _13\. The Very Thought of You_  
 _14\. I'm a Fool to Want You_  
 _15\. Lady Sings the Blues_

After they decided to settle on these fifteen, which were some of Holiday's most well known and popular songs, they briefly considered a deluxe list that would've had four more jazz standards by Holiday. But both Cody and Heather decided to scrap it after they couldn't agree on what songs to add to the standard list in order to make a deluxe list. With that in mind, they finally got down to business and were ready to start recording.

* * *

It was a warm spring day when Cody and Heather arrived at the studio to start recording. They both decided to record a solo song each to see how their vocals would do amongst the Jazz instruments. However, neither one of them had told the other what song they were recording, as they wanted to keep their minds clear of any potential influence or criticism. That was hard considering that they were doing something which was outside of their normal comfort zone, and what many people would believe to be out of their league. Despite the challenge, neither one of them revealed the song they were going to cover and talked about them preparing for the album they were going to work on together.

"Are you nervous?" Cody asked while waiting for the band to arrive.

"Just a little bit. I've sung Jazz since I was thirteen, but this is the first time I'll be professionally recorded." Heather replied. "What if I mess up?"

"Heather, you won't mess up. I have faith that you'll be fine. To confess, I'm actually a bit more nervous than what you are." Cody pointed out.

"How come Cody?" Heather asked.

"This will be the first time that not only have I entered a recording studio since my nervous breakdown, but will be the first time that I do a live recording with just the instruments and my vocals. When I had my other career, we always had machines and DJ's who'd do most of the work. We didn't even have to try. What if I turn out to not be the singer you were hoping for?"

"It wouldn't matter if you was or wasn't. I am going to make this album with you and I don't care what anyone else thinks. Is that understood?" Heather encouragingly ordered.

"Yes, ma'am. You seem to be bound and determined to go through with this."

"I am since I want to show people that our time on the show doesn't define who we are. I don't care if I have to blast us to that point just to prove it."

"I just can't believe that it's about to become reality. We've done nothing but discuss and plan this out for a while. But now, it's actually going to happen."

"I thought that people were going to say that I lost my mind, but that hasn't happened anywhere yet."

"I wouldn't say that just yet since we have no idea what the future has in store for us."

* * *

It didn't take the band long to arrive afterward, and while Heather was getting ready to sing, Cody went into a booth where the producers were. He was anxious to hear Heather sing for the first time, to see a side of her hardly anyone knew existed. Heather, meanwhile, was nervous. She looked all around at the band and was trying not to let her emotions act up. She looked in the booth and saw the producers getting ready. She also saw Cody in there, smiling and being himself. When she saw Cody, something about his presence made her fears disappear. She felt confident and positive. She was ready to dive deep into this without a second thought.

She gave Cody an excited smile. "Are you ready Heather?" One of the producers asked.

"I am. You guys can start playing." She instructed the band. The Jazz players paused before starting to play. From the booth, Cody smiled. He knew what song it was from the instruments playing. It was Billie Holiday's "Some Other Spring", one of the first songs they both agreed had to be on the album.

Heather smiled as she took a deep breath and started singing,

 ** _"Some other spring_**  
 ** _I'll try to love_**  
 ** _Now I still cling_**  
 ** _To faded blossoms_**  
 ** _Left crushed and torn_**  
 ** _Like the love affair, I mourn."_**

The whole time that Heather sang, she sang in a soft but melancholy voice, to match the tone of the song, of how the woman in the song was trying to find love after the last love affair she had left her crushed and torn. Heather's voice made the producer see her as someone who had Holiday's charm, a charm that could take listeners to a dreamlike state whenever they heard this music. It was a dreamy, almost out of this world, feeling that could relate to the listener while shutting out the world around them. This was what Cody and Heather had in mind with this album, to poke the waters and see how strong they can sing jazz while allowing modern audiences to get a glance of Holiday's work and why she inspired so many singers of the modern generation.

When Heather finished, there was a glooming silence for a second, and she was afraid that she blew it, but her fears were dashed when she saw the producers giving her a round of applause. "That was wonderful Heather! You blew it out of the water!" Cody exclaimed.

"You thought that was good?" Heather asked.

"Are you kidding me? That was fantastic!" Cody replied, "I never realized how talented you were!"

"Well thank you. I'm glad that you enjoyed that. I'm sure yours will be just as good." Heather added, slightly overcome by the praise.

"I don't know if I can top that, but I'll try."

Heather sighed in annoyance while hearing Cody's hint of negativity. "Look, don't doubt yourself. You're no longer part of a two-bit boy band, where everything is limited to the gleam of your teeth. This is your chance to show the _real_ you. Just think about that when you go to sing. Alright."

"Alright." He relented

"You promise?" She asked.

"I promise." He replied, weary but solemn.

Cody sighed again as he went into the booth that Heather just came out of. He knew that she didn't want him to be disappointed, but it was hard not to. Heather had nailed her solo in one take, and he was afraid that he wasn't going to meet her expectations. It didn't help matters that he picked Holiday's signature song for his solo and he had no idea if he was going to either blow their expectations away or fall flat. However, Heather's words gave him some comfort as he went to his microphone. This was it. The moment that would determine if he was a true singer or not.

"I'm ready when you guys are," Cody commented. The jazz band started playing and everyone instantly knew what song Cody was going for. Cody took a deep breath as he started to sing Billie Holiday's "Gloomy Sunday",

 ** _"Sunday is gloomy_**  
 ** _My hours are slumberless_**  
 ** _Dearest the shadows_**  
 ** _I live with are numberless."_**

As Cody sung, he took Heather's words to heart and started to think of the opportunities now that he was free of the band. However, voices echoed in his head: "Ex boyband member Cody Anderson has killed his career", "Cody Anderson will never be relevant again" and so much more. But what haunted him was when he heard Harold's declaration, "You'll never be a true artist". He thought that was going to be the case, but here was Heather and these jazz musicians giving him a chance to show that he could be a true artist. Just knowing how lucky he was having that chance, Cody broke down and kept singing in the raw and emotional way that he started off doing. This made the song even more powerful as it reflected the pain a person was going through and how they wished they were dead while hoping they didn't frighten their loved one.

As Cody finished, he wiped the tears from his eyes, not knowing what to expect. He looked up and saw that there wasn't a single dry eye in the room and the adjacent booth. Everyone was speechless. Everyone didn't speak until one of the producers remarked, "In all of my years in the music industry, I never heard a cover that was so raw and emotional but could relate back to real life. That changed just now."

Just like Heather, he received a round of applause before everyone decided to take a break after the overwhelming performances they both gave. As Cody blew his nose, Heather came up to him and gave him a hug.

"Cody, that was beautiful. I've heard covers of Billie's song before, but they never matched the power of her vocals and the rawness of emotion. I think you've matched that in just one take."

"Do you really mean it?" Cody asked, taken aback.

"Of course I do. Why would I say it if I didn't mean it?" Heather answered, faintly insulted.

"You're right Heather. My brain tends to get compliments and sarcasm mixed up.''

"If we're being honest, I get insults and sarcasm mixed up sometimes Cody." Heather admitted.

Cody couldn't help but shake his head. He never expected Heather to get an insult mixed up with sarcasm, especially given who Heather once was. But he decided not to be too hard on her since they were both human, they had strengths and weaknesses, and life went on the same with those strengths and weaknesses, and it didn't affect the world in any particular way.

They spent almost an hour relaxing and talking until the producers decided to have them do one of the songs they would sing together, to see how their voices would come together. "Want song do you want to do?" Heather asked.

"I was thinking of "Body and Soul" since not only is that the halfway mark of the album, but a number of duets have done the song so we can use it to see how our voices blend and if needed, we can re-record until it comes out the way we want it to," Cody replied.

"That sounds like a plan to me."

"Alright. I guess it's settled then."

* * *

During the course of the next few months, Cody and Heather worked hard on the album, often re-recording tracks that, although sounded good, didn't quite had the mark they were reaching for. There was the temptation of editing, but Cody, having witnessed most of the Drama Brothers songs losing their soul to it fiercely rejected. Most of the songs that were on this list were done in one take but often had a second take just to see which of the two would be of superior quality. One song in particular, "Blue Moon", went through five recordings before it was considered to be perfect by Cody and Heather.

Although they weren't going to include bonus tracks, one of the producers suggested an idea to where the deluxe edition would consist of the outtakes to show how the album came to be about, and since they were recorded live they wouldn't be labeled as demos since they almost matched the final songs pretty well, but usually differed in performance range. Out of the fifteen songs, only the first two songs that Cody and Heather done, separately, were left on with just one take. When the album was finished, it consisted of eleven duets with solo covers of "Some Other Spring" and "Lady Sings the Blues" by Heather and solo covers of "Gloomy Sunday" and "If You Were Mine" by Cody.

The night before the album party was to be held, Cody and Heather were headed home after a long day at the studio, mostly spent discussing this small exclusive party for the executives and other people who were going to give them feedback on how to improve with their next album, and other suggestions that could help them further down the road.

As they were driving on their way back to their apartments, Cody decided to act on a feeling he had developed quite some time ago but was afraid of pouncing on until he felt ready. He now felt that it was the time to act on those feelings since while working with Heather, they developed a wonderful friendship that neither one of them ever expected. It turned out they had a lot in common with each other besides jazz, and that each of them was fascinated with the other's culture and heritage- Cody's German and Heather's Chinese. As time went on, however, Cody started to realize that he saw Heather in a different light. He never knew that besides the looks, she had a charm that drew him to develop feelings.

Cody was slowly falling in love with Heather.

He tried to ignore the feelings at first, but as time went on, and they spent more time together and working on the record, he came to realize that he couldn't ignore those feelings. He was in love with her, and unlike his crush on Gwen, he never developed that almost obsessive nature. This love was genuine, something that he never had the chance to experience before. Even though he was notorious for his crush on her, whether it was because his mind was occupied with grief or for other reasons, that crush permanently died when he left the band. Nonetheless, it made his soul feel lighter and freer, no longer in bondage. This was his chance to show that he wasn't a hopeless romantic and that he could genuine love someone.

"Heather?" He finally asked, breaking the silence of the car ride, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. What's up?" She asked.

Cody couldn't help but stumble on his words. "Well, you see, uh- oh how can I word this? I have a crush on someone and I'm having trouble of approaching her to see if she wants to go out on a date with me."

Heather asked, not feeling confident in helping Cody any further but offering a listening ear nonetheless. "What is she like?"

"Oh, she's a gorgeous person you'll ever meet. She has long hair, dresses in a classical style is always beautiful whether she has makeup on or not and is a force not to be trifled with. She's strong-willed with determination. She has a creative mind and is despite everything always happy while being young and having so many other qualities that words can't describe." Cody explained, rambling on as he stumbled over all the things he wanted to mention.

"It sounds like that you're fascinated with her."

"More than fascinated. I'm in love with her."

"How can you tell if you're in love with her? No offense, but you've said that plenty of times before." Heather asked, decently kind but with a healthy amount of skepticism.

"I know it. Sure, I might've had a few crushes on other girls before, but this is the first time that I've been genuinely in love with someone. Every time I look at her, she takes my breath away, and I'm often left speechless when she's in the same room as I am. I even have the first date planned out, but I'm afraid she'd think that I was a fool if she knew about it."

"Oh, I'm sure they won't think that. Tell me, what would this first date be like?"

"Well, I would take them to George Restaurant on Queens Street, in the old heart of Toronto, since I love the atmosphere and food they offer on their menus. I would pay for the whole meal myself, no matter how much money I had, so that she would feel special. We would eat and talk by candlelight for hours and afterward, go get some gelato at G for Gelato on Jarvis Street, which is not even two minutes from George Restaurant."

"That sounds like a wonderful date. I'm sure that she'll be impressed with everything." Heather kindly predicted.

"So with that in mind, would you like to go out tonight?" Cody cautiously asked, despite the fact he should feel empowered by Heather's kind words.

Heather didn't realize what Cody asked until a few moments later, and that was when it felt like a ton of bricks had landed on her. Cody was talking about her the whole time! He had a crush on her and wanted to take her out on a date. What Cody didn't realize, however, was that Heather also had a crush on Cody. Like him, she had been developing feelings for a while now and was actually hesitant to ask Cody out since she didn't know how he'd act, but after spending time with him and making music, she realized the real guy that he was and had planned on asking him the next day, but he beat her to the punch.

Heather didn't know what to do so she pulled off on the side of the road as she saw stars and birds swirling around her. "Oh my gosh! Are you alright?" Cody asked.

"I will be whenever my senses come back." Heather groaned, beckoning Cody to remain calm.

"I didn't mean to give you a shock. I wanted to surprise you." Cody worried regardless.

"You surprised me alright. I didn't expect this all. Whenever you said it, I felt the whole car go in circles. It reminded me of the planetarium." She remarked as she prodded her fingers in her temples in a attempt to curb the dizziness.

"I feel so bad. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

"No. I want you to take the wheel and head back to the apartment so that we can get ready for this date." Heather answered, still dazed but determined.

"What? Are you serious right now?" Cody asked.

"I am," Heather replied. "I'll be more than glad to go out with you, but if you want to make it to George Restaurant before the dinner hour, you better hurry."

Cody got out of the passenger side while Heather got out of the driver side and switched. Once when Cody got behind the wheel, he took off. "We're almost the apartments. According to my map, the restaurant is sixteen minutes from the apartments, with the gelato shop being two minutes away from the restaurant. Would ten minutes be enough for us to get ready?" Cody asked.

"I suppose. I'll have to do my makeup in the car though." Heather pointed out.

"I'll buy you as much gelato afterward to make up for it!" Cody unsurely promised as he began to worry about how much it might cost him soon after.

"I can live with that."

Needless to say, by the time they got back to their apartments, changed, and ran back into the car, they made it to the restaurant by seven, which gave them plenty of time to have a long romantic dinner with good food and a comfortable atmosphere. The whole evening for the both of them was quite enjoyable, minus the surprise spell Cody gave Heather. During the whole evening, they talked about each other, about how they came to like each other, and how their feelings controlled their thoughts to the point that neither one of them could not go an hour without thinking about the other one. That was what real love was to them, and it didn't matter if it was different in the eyes of the world. As long as they focused and loved each other, that was all they wanted.

Dinner, however, was spent mostly talking about their feeling for each other. The comfortable romantic atmosphere distracted them from deciding if they wanted to pursue an actual relationship. They discussed that over some gelato after they left the restaurant. It took some time, but they both agreed to go on ahead and start dating, but to take things slowly, to see if it would work out in the long run. This meant that they wouldn't hold hands, kiss, or be intimate around one another just yet. Instead, they would resume being the close friends they were but gradually develop and evolve into a couple as time went on. It would be hard for the both of them, but they were committed to sticking to their guns and trying it out that way and nothing would change their minds.

It was going to be hard for them not to be affectionate at the album party going to be held the next night, but they decided that it had to be done since they didn't want anything to be revealed before they felt ready. If there was one thing that both Cody and Heather loathed was the paparazzi. They avoided them at every chance and made sure not to be seen doing anything or saying something that would remotely allow them to create a story. They wanted to have a clean slate and avoided the press and scandals that plagued so many musicians in the past and in the present day.

* * *

The next night was their album listening party, which was a small exclusive party for mostly the producers, executives, and workers of the company, along with Cody and Heather of course. For this, Cody dug out the only tuxedo he owned and wore it for the occasion. Heather wore a copy of one of Holiday's most iconic dresses, with a black floor-length skirt and bow on the breast area with a white blouse. She also wore black gloves, a set of pearls and of course, had a large white gardenia in her hair, which was also in Holiday's style.

When Cody saw her, he was taken away by how Heather looked. She appeared to have been frozen in time and was reliving Holiday's era in the present. "Heather, you look stunning. Absolutely stunning." Cody remarked while trying not to blush.

"Thank you. I actually had a different outfit selected for this party, but I changed my mind early this morning so I managed to whip this together. You don't think it's shabby?" Heather asked.

"Are you kidding me? Shabby is nowhere near it. This is the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen you in." Cody added.

"You're just showering me with praise, but I'll take it anyways," Heather remarked, acting coolly.

"So you ready for the photo shoot tomorrow?"

"I am, and I was thinking, why don't we wear the same outfits we have on now? It would show that we were covering Holiday and her era and that it would be a simple yet classical route to go."

"That's actually a really good idea. If we run into the photographer tonight, we'll have to tell him." Cody agreed.

"Last time I saw him was at the shrimp bar, but if we're going to get this in before the album starts playing, we better find him right away."

It didn't take them to find the photographer who was going to do their photo shoot the next day, and when they presented their idea, he loved the idea and concept of it and promised that the sets would match their outfits to create a sense of unity. He reminded them to be at his studio around eleven or so.

* * *

The actual album listening took around an hour or so since although there were fifteen tracks, they were often short, no more than three to four minutes at the most with only one of them being around six minutes. After it was over, everyone, besides Cody, Heather, and the executives, wrote down their comments and put them in a box. The producers took the box inside a room and didn't come out for a while. When they did, they asked for Cody and Heather to come with them. Once when they were inside, they saw all of the company executives sitting around.

"Before you all think you're going to get torn to shreds, you're not. We just want to have a small discussion about the feedback received over the album and talk about some last minute things before the album is released. Alright?"

Hearing the president of the company say that made their anxiety go away, but they still wondered what needed to be talked about. Cody and Heather sat down, facing the executives. "Well, let me say this. From the feedback we got, you two have a wonderful album. The comments said that you two are some wonderful jazz singers with a great chemistry."

Hearing this made Cody and Heather smile. They couldn't believe that they pulled it off. From what they heard, their album was good for everyone who heard it, but they had to wait to see how critics responded to it and how well it sold. They were concerned, however, when it was said, "But, we have two issues, one from the feedback and one from us. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"The feedback." They both replied.

"Alright. According to the listeners, they loved the standards you picked from Holiday's discography and loved your recordings, but they thought that the album title, "Gloomy Sunday" sounded too depressing. They want a title from either one of the songs or something that acknowledges that you're covering Holiday's music."

Cody and Heather paused. They originally wanted "Gloomy Sunday" to be the title of the album since that was what the album's opening was, but they realized that it did sound too depressing and they wanted to show that their music wasn't depressing but emotional and uplifting to those who listened. So they brainstormed a few ideas to see what would work.

"How about 'The Best of Billie Holiday' or 'The Essential Billie Holiday'?" Cody asked.

"Those would work, but critics could argue that you left some of her best songs out, and bring the album down to a lower standard than what you guys wanted."

"Hmm, how about 'Body and Soul'? It's not only the halfway mark of the album, but it could represent and connect to so many things not only for me and Cody but for the listeners and the general public." Heather suggested.

"That's perfect! Do you guys have any objections to that being the album title?" The producer asked.

Everyone in the room shook their head no. "Alright. With that settled, we can move onto the other issue. Everyone in this room knows that you guys want to be called 'The Billie Holiday Duo' and while that's a really good name, you guys mentioned wanting to record other branches of jazz, and we realized that if you do that, the duo name you guys created wouldn't work. So what do you guys want to be called?"

Heather struggled to come up with a name. She realized that what they pointed out was true. If they were to do other albums, the name wouldn't work. She looked at Cody who seemed to be in deep but had an idea come to him. "Well, I don't know if this would work, but how about 'Birds of Paradise'? Actual birds of paradise are some of the most exotic colorful birds in the world. That can show that we are some of the most colorful and lively people in music and that we value quality over quantity."

"That's brilliant Cody! Any objections to the name?"

No one disagreed. So that allowed them to get down to business and discuss other aspects that needed to address. During the next few weeks, Cody and Heather had the photo shoot done for the album, but finalized the cover, mastered the album, sent both off to production, and posted a few photos on their social medias that hinted at something coming soon.

About a week later, a video was uploaded which showed Cody and Heather in their outfits from both the party and the photo shoot sitting next to a piano. In the video, they finally announced that the surprise they hinted at was the album they made together. They announced that it would be released on September 19th and that the first single would come out the next day.

Needless to say, this took the Internet by storm. No one had expected this to come and it fell like a bomb. People were surprised to hear that Cody Anderson had not only made a jazz album, but a jazz album with Heather Wilson, someone who many people thought was the next Paris Hilton. Fans of The Drama Brothers were more surprised as they never expected Cody not only to come back out into the spotlight following his departure, but to make a whole album in a completely different genre without even revealing its existence. Many fans were expecting the band to respond, but no statement came.

When "Body and Soul" was released as a single, it was overwhelmingly received by critics who noted that jazz allowed Cody to reach vocal potentials he never could with The Drama Brothers and critics also praised Heather's vocals and found her to be a natural born jazz singer. Although there were a few critics who saw the song in a negative light, mainly asking why Cody would move from a genre that was often well received to a genre that most of the modern culture didn't pay much attention to anymore. Despite these few negative reviews, the overwhelming praise allowed the single to debut at number one on the Jazz charts and at number three on the main music charts. It was the first time that a jazz single had made it to the top five of the charts since Ramsey Lewis's "The In Crowd" back in 1965.

The music video, as with the other singles that would be released, showed different clips of them in the studio while recording the song. It was a simplistic yet artistic way to show that they wanted to focus on the sound and quality of the music, not the quantity of sales and their image, which took a stand against modern culture. Cody and Heather also took a stand by dressing mostly in the 1940's style, which was Holiday wore at the peak of her career. They were paying tribute to her by doing so.

The album pre-order went online the same day that "Good Morning Heartache" was announced as the second single. The song also had a good release, becoming their second number one on the Jazz charts and reaching number five on the main charts, making them the first jazz duo in recent history to have two consecutive singles in the top five. As the release date got closer and closer, critics were divided about where it would debut and at what position. Some suggested a huge sale and a number one debut while others hinted at a moderate sale and a debut somewhere in the top ten.

* * *

On the night before the album's release, Cody and Heather sat in Cody's apartment, feeling anxious and excited knowing that their album was going to be released at midnight and that it was up to sales and reviews to see how well their jazz would be received. They didn't say much since their minds were focused on the release. After months of recording, hard work, and keeping it from the public, the fruits of their labors were about to be released to be fed upon, and they were going to either be fresh and plentiful or rotten and bitter. "I feel more nervous about this album than what I did when I was part of the band," Cody remarked, breaking the silence.

"I'm nervous too. I'm trying not to think about it so much." Heather added.

"But it's hard not to think about it if you know what I mean." Cody pondered

"I know what you mean," Heather replied.

Cody started to say something but paused. For a long while, neither one of them said anything else, but sat in silence and being lost in their thoughts. What was there to say? Their work was done, but they were consumed by fear that what they had accomplished would be a waste. They didn't want the seeds of their fruits to be trampled on when they were doing something that made them happy, something that brought life and enjoyment to them within the uncertainty of the times.

After a while of thinking, Heather came up with an idea. It was something that she debated back and forth about for quite some time but was uncertain as to whether or not to act on it. However, she had an empathy and decided that they should act on it no matter what happened. "Cody, let's a make a commitment."

"What kind of commitment are you wanting to make?" He asked.

"Let us make a vow right here and now that no matter what happens, we will still make jazz. We still make music and release it for enjoyment to everyone that enjoys our music to have, despite what the critics say." She replied.

"What's made you think like that?" He asked.

" _You_. After seeing how happy you were making this album and how it's some sort of therapy for your mental health, I realize that it's more enjoyable than making standard music since there's more freedom with your vocals and the sky is the limit. Anything is possible in this genre if we put our minds to it."

"And it gave me you. So I'll agree to still make jazz music no matter what happens since you're right. We have more benefits than cons that come with it, and plus, making jazz has made me happier. I feel lighter and not held back in bondage. My chains have been vanquished. I am a bird taking off in flight." Cody poetically answered.

"Taking off in flight to paradise."

"So that it can be a bird of paradise."

Both of them laughed and looked at each other. It had been almost six months since they started going out and their relationship had progressed to the point that they held hands out in public, but they weren't affectionate toward each other. Cody's teal eyes looked at Heather's ashy eyes. Both saw warmth and love in their irises, they saw that it was time to go through the threshold and become one.

They didn't have time to react as they moved together for a kiss. It felt like a thunderbolt went off when their lips meet since they had the fires building up for a long time, waiting to be released. Their embrace signaled comfort and passion. Their kiss marked their unofficial declaration of their love. Neither one of them knew when to stop since six months of emotions had built up to this moment and they didn't want it to end.

Sometime later, they finally ceased due to a lack of air in their lungs. They laid down next to each other, their cheeks red as roses. They didn't have to say their love for each other. They knew that it was real. They knew it was unlike anything either one had experienced. They knew that it felt wonderful to be young and in love. They knew that they were the ones for each other.

* * *

As they cuddled up and fell asleep, they both felt more relaxed and at ease than what either of them had been in ages. Although the future of their music looked uncertain, they decided to still make it for their enjoyment. Although the world around them looked uncertain, they decided to stay with each other for better or for worse. When they both drifted to sleep, they didn't dream of their success. They only dreamed of each other. Even if the album didn't sell well, they had a commitment to jazz and a commitment to each other and that's all they felt like they needed. Nothing else.

Neither one of them knew that fate had a different plan for them.

* * *

 **And there we have it! So with this chapter, we've almost reached the point to where their album comes out and things start building up. However, all of that will be revealed in due time. I'm still hoping to get this whole story in ten to thirteen chapters, but we'll see how that goes.**

 **Today's update is significant since it's Lowland Warrior's birthday and this is his other gift! Happy Birthday to my best guy friend on here! Thank you for being my co-author, beta reader, and most of all, a damn good friend I can always count on when needed! This is for you!**

 **Now, I also have a treat for you guys. I've made a playlist on Spotify that has the songs listed at the beginning of the chapter. It's made by me and if you want to listen to it, just look up "Body and Soul (AG)" and it should take you to the same fifteen Billie Holiday songs that I mentioned above, and it'll give you guys a chance to not only hear how the album on here would be structured, but it'll be an introduction to Holiday's music for those who've never heard her before.**

 **Well, from the looks of it, the next chapter may not come until late November due to the college work I have now, but I'll try to manage my schedule to work on the next chapter.**

 **Until next time! Please read, review, favor, alert, and spread the word! c:**


	4. Chapter 4

_Four_

 _-I'm always making a comeback, but nobody ever tells me where I've been- (Billie Holiday)_

* * *

"This evening has been so very nice."

"I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice."

"My mother will start to worry."

"Beautiful what's your hurry?"

"And father will be pacing the floor."

"Listen to the fireplace roar."

"So really I'd better scurry."

"Beautiful please don't hurry."

"Well, maybe just half a drink more."

"Put some records on while I pour."

Cody and Heather stopped to laugh while decorating the Christmas tree. While Ella and Louis were having a conversation about how cold it was outside, which Cody and Heather spoke their lines instead of singing them, Cody and Heather were decorating their house for Christmas.

It has been three months since their album was released. When it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with around 300,000 copies sold, it was cause for major celebrations in the jazz world. It had been over four decades since a jazz album had been lauded, and while jazz was still considered to be a minority genre in modern culture, there was cautious hope that this was to be a beginning of a Renaissance for jazz artists and for jazz music in general. Critics gave the album critical acclaim, citing that a new generation of singers had brought not only jazz to the mainstream, but the album also did a good job of realizing the raw emotion Holiday had in her lyrics, and it also brought a lot of interest as to who Billie Holiday was as a jazz singer.

To celebrate the good era that fell upon them, Cody and Heather released "Body and Soul" as the third single. Although it became their third number one on the Jazz charts, it became the first jazz single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the whole studio went wild when the announcement went public. For both Heather and Cody, this was a triumph. They didn't expect a number one album, but they didn't expect a number one single as well. This was their reward for defying the odds and taking a risk by releasing an album in a genre that many before considered to be fading. This also meant so much to Cody since he never felt this with the success of The Drama Brothers. He never felt genuinely happy and this was the first time that he experienced that. It also helped by the fact that they finally made their relationship public and that they had enough money to start building a house for themselves, but while construction was going on, they moved from their apartments to an Italianate Victorian house in nearby Brockville which rented for about the same price their apartments were, but with twice as much room. They were still half of an hour from Toronto so it wasn't a drastic move for them both.

Despite their success, it seemed that karma had at least one rotten egg to throw at them.

That rotten egg came days after "Body and Soul" had just reached number one. All of the news medias were going to cover their story and how they were both enjoying their success.

Except that their story never made it.

It hadn't even been three days after the milestone occurred that the first conflict between Cody and Heather and The Drama Brothers started. They dropped a surprise album in secrecy and the media went crazy about their new music, all but abandoning their focus on Cody and Heather's overnight success. The album, entitled "The Beginning" went to number one, abruptly ending Cody and Heather's three-week streak on the charts. The sting was made worse when their first single, "Million Illusions" went to number one and dethroned "Body and Soul". Despite their fury and loathing toward the band, both Heather and Cody decided not to say anything in order to avoid any conflicts or gossip in the world of drama.

But the drama itself would soon be knocking on their doorstep. For now, however, Cody and Heather were enjoying themselves as they prepared for Christmas. "I'm relieved that we got to submit the album for Grammy consideration. What do you think we'll get?" Cody asked while placing ornaments on the tree.

"I think we'll get a nod in the Best Jazz Vocal category, Album of the Year and those two would pretty much be it," Heather replied. "Could you hand me some of the gardenia flowers?"

Cody paused while handing the gardenia decorations to Heather. "Do you really think we'll just get two nods? I think we could also get a nod for Record and Song of the Year."

"No, I don't think so. Our three singles have been critically acclaimed, but how big of a hit have they been compared to… some others?" Heather struggled to say that last part.

"And I get your points, I really do. However, both our singles and album have almost been unanimously acclaimed, so that should give us a lead in some categories."

"I'm not worried about it since the nominations won't be revealed until the end of the year. If we do get a nomination, then I'll worry."

"Same here."

For a while afterward, neither Cody or Heather spoke. They continued to play Ella while putting out the stockings, nativity scenes, and other miscellaneous Christmas items. "Ready for the interview tomorrow?" Cody asked.

"I guess I am. They won't like the fact that I'll be wearing the same outfit as I've done in the past three interviews, but I'm sure Josh's wife Mildred won't give me trouble on my fashion." Heather guessed. "Should I wear gardenias?"

"It's up to you, sweetheart. We're currently in the Billie Holiday era, as you said in our first interview, so it would make sense if you did wear a gardenia in tribute to her and to represent your style." He acknowledged.

"Now that you've said that, I realize that not wearing the gardenia would stand out against the era we're promoting and performing and working in."

"I agree with that. However, this will be the first interview I've had with Josh since I left the band and went through the odyssey to get here, at this moment in the present time."

"I wouldn't worry about Josh."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Why would I tell you that if I wasn't?"

"Again, I always have a cloud of doubt inside my head." Cody pointed out. He turned to look at the room around him. "I have to say, we make a good team when it comes to Christmas decorating."

Heather wrapped her arms around Cody. "I agree. And you know who else agrees?"

"Who?" He asked.

"Look." She replied. Cody looked up and saw the mistletoe above Heather's head. He laughed as he gave his girlfriend a kiss. Life was beautiful at the moment, and he wanted it to stay beautiful eternally.

* * *

The next day, both Heather and Cody were backstage getting ready for the interview. As true to her promise, Heather wore the same outfit as with previous interviews which was a brightly colored kimono with a set of gardenias within her hair. Cody just wore a simple suit. When they received the five-minute call, they both went out to the interview room, where there was a couch and two chairs waiting for them. Cody and Heather sat on the couch. They grabbed each other's hands and squeezed them for good luck.

Moments later, Josh and Mildred walked out together. After a customary hug and greeting, the four sat down together, facing each other in minutes of awkward silence. Finally, the camera men came in and the interview started.

"Welcome to another edition of _Celebrity Manhunt._ I'm your host Josh, and today, we'll be talking with Cody Anderson and Heather Wilson about their surprising Jazz career, their overnight success, and what's next for them." Josh told the camera.

"We'll also dive into their social lives and bring you the latest scoop on these two new stars!" Mildred also added.

Josh looked at his wife for a moment before turning to face Cody and Heather. "Welcome to _Celebrity Manhunt_. I just want to start off by saying thank you to the both of you for this interview. My first question is how did you both find jazz and why did you choose to sing in the Jazz genre?"

"Well Josh," Heather answered, "I've always been a lover of jazz. Ever since I was a little girl, my parents always played it and I fell in love with the various jazz singers from the 40's and 50's such as Ellington, Fitzgerald, Rodgers and Hart, Gershwin, and so forth. When I turned thirteen, I started singing jazz and naturally, many people thought of me as a natural jazz singer. What made me decide to go into a jazz career was that after my time on the show, offers came and fell through and that gave me the freedom to try a sing career. It was a big risk that could've ended badly, but as you guys know, it's paid off, and I'm honestly glad that I went with my gut since I'm quite happy with how everything's turned out."

Cody looked at Josh and smiled. "Well, Josh, my answer's a bit different than Heather's. As you know, I left the band following creative differences and became just overwhelmed that I crashed-"

"What do you mean by crash?" Josh asked.

"I mean, it's one thing to put a train on a set of tracks, but it's another to keep the train going. That kind of crash. If it makes sense."

"It does."

"And so, after I crashed, I spent some time recovering and trying to establish a solo career of my own. I was about to give up when I ran into Heather, the first time we had seen each other since the end of the show, and she offered me the chance to work on a jazz album with her. I was reluctant at first since up until that moment, I had never listened to jazz. So we spent about a month listening to various jazz singers and albums. I fell in love with how real their voices sound and how they had the freedom to sing with just their voice and a jazz band in the background. After that, just like Heather, I took a chance to sing in a genre I hadn't considered before, and the experience has been worth it."

"So you guys are in the Billie Holiday era based on her music and fashion. Some fashion blogs have questioned why you guys are doing this, with some saying that you're being disrespectful toward her image. What do you think of that statement?" Mildred asked.

"I don't think it's being disrespectful toward Billie. In case you haven't noticed, I'm wearing a kimono with white gardenias, which was her signature look. Billie had an unhappy life and I think she would disagree with that statement. Seeing how happy me and Cody are by paying tribute her and replicating her, she would be honored at the fact that people look to her as a source of inspiration five decades after her death." Heather replied.

"What made you guys want to do her music as your first album?" Josh added.

"The fact that she had so much emotion and heartbreak in her voice and that me and Heather felt a connection with her through her songs." Cody pointed out.

"And it's paid off since you guys had a number one album that's now sold over 500,000 copies and produced a number one single and two top five hits. Did you guys expected that when you made the album?"

"If we're being honest, neither one of us expected the success. We made a commitment to make jazz music no mattered what happened, and we were expecting a mild success and that's the end of it, but we had no idea as to how big this was going to make us."

"I remember calling Heather early on the morning that the news broke out. So I called and told her, 'Stop what you're doing and get on your computer. Read the article from Billboard'. When I heard her scream for joy I knew that she had the same reaction that I did when I found out. This is something at neither one of us expected to happen in a million years, and now that it's coming true, it's been nothing but a good era of feelings for the both of us."

"Cody, this has been a comeback of sorts for you ever since you left The Drama Brothers and suffered a nervous breakdown. How was that time like?"

"It was awful, Mildred. I mean, it was so bad that I became addicted to drugs and alcohol and up until now, the only two who knew that was my psychologist and Heather. But thanks to this album, I found a piece of me that I thought would never come back and realized the real person that I am and I can never thank Heather enough for not only allowing me to work with her but for being the love of my life."

Heather didn't say anything, but her face gave her response away since a faint red blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Now that's sweet," Josh added.

"Yeah yeah. As much as I would love to take in that moment, I want to get to something that I've been dying to ask." Mildred stated while turning to Cody and Heather. "So as you guys know, The Drama Brothers have released a new album. Have you guys heard it?"

"Not really."

"I have no interest in playing it."

"We'll be glad that you left the band, Cody. In case you didn't hear, sometime last night, a demo was leaked online and it's not just any particular demo. It's a demo for a diss track dissing Cody and your guy's jazz career."

"What?!" Everyone else, besides Mildred, shouted.

"Are you serious right now?" Josh asked.

"I am. I just got the demo before we went on the air and I believe it's better for Cody and Heather to hear it now instead of finding out about it on the news later on."

Cody and Heather sighed. This was not how they expected the interview to be going, but they didn't say anything, which indicated to Mildred that the demo could be played. "Play the audio!" She yelled.

The sound of hip-hop beats soon came on and the voice gave away that it was Harold. Everyone was curious as to what Cody's former bandmate had to say. It didn't take them long to find out when they heard the lyrics come on:

 ** _You are the geek king of the comic shop_**  
 ** _You thought that you could sing_**  
 ** _But you're really just shit_**  
 ** _So I don't get it._**

 ** _You look like a wimp_**  
 ** _You're talking like an idiot_**  
 ** _How the fuck are you still alive?_**  
 ** _I don't get it._**

 ** _You call yourself the best singer of us all_**  
 ** _How the fuck would you be able to succeed_**  
 ** _When you're not so legit_**  
 ** _Don't you get it?_**

The song itself seemed to not name drop anyone up to that point, but then came the bombshell:

 ** _Cody, you suck, I know you sold thirty million_**  
 ** _Wish they could have seen you when you were booed off in Williamsburg_**  
 ** _You're hurt. I know I don't care that my words hurt._**

 ** _What happened to our music guys?_**  
 ** _Have we all gone Anderson and Wilson crazy?_**  
 ** _Remember when jazz was free_**  
 ** _Of attempted wannabes like yourselves._**

It was at that point that the demo was turned off. All four of them were looking at each other in shock, utter shock. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mildred finally broke the silence. "Holy shit. I wasn't expecting that to happen."

"Oh my god. I- I- I'm literally speechless." Josh added.

"How can I even respond to that?" Heather asked. Everyone looked at Cody, expecting him to comment.

"I have no comment whatsoever." He calmly declared.

* * *

That may have been the case in public, but in private, he had a lot to say.

"That little fucker! I oughta beat the living shit out of him!" Cody screamed when they got home. "He only did that because I decided to do a new career!"

"Cody, perhaps you should take a deep breath and calm down." Heather calmly suggested, but to no avail.

"Calm down? How in the _hell_ am I supposed to calm down Heather? That was clearly a diss not only to me but to you! He called our talent cheap!" Cody pointed out.

"Look, this is not like when you were in the band and could talk this out. If you don't think about this carefully, you could stir up drama and that's the last thing we need right now!" Heather yelled. "I don't want to cause an argument between us since this whole day has gone to shit. I'm going to take a nap. I'll come back down when your inner bull stops releasing smoke from its ears."

After Heather left, Cody tried his best to let his anger out by squeezing a stress ball, punching a pillow, and mediating. None of it worked. He looked around his living room and saw a wooden box on the table. He lunged it across the room. That calmed down a bit. As he went to pick it up, he noticed a flash drive on the floor. "What's this?" He asked.

Cody grabbed his computer and plugged the flash drive in. When the files opened, he saw that it was the demos he kept from the band when he left. He was about to delete the files when he saw a file that said "BN". Curious, he clicked on it, and soon remembered that it was the song "Brooklyn Nights" that they did before things fell apart between him and the others. That was when his lightbulb came on. "Of course, no one would ever expect me. This is the perfect way to get even for Harold's diss track." He made a note to set his plan to action as soon as he apologized to Heather.

The stunt worked. When the files were leaked online, fans questioned why the band didn't consider using some of the songs Cody had written and recorded, and many mourned what would've been from the band based on "Brooklyn Nights". As for the demo, Harold received a lot of criticism for slamming Cody and Heather in the midst of their success. Harold backed down by issuing an apology that despite the sincere tone, Cody and Heather read in between the lines and knew he didn't mean what he said.

* * *

However, despite their fury, Cody and Heather quickly put Harold's stunt behind them since they were busy preparing for the future. After the success of their album, Cody and Heather announced that they would be going on tour after the award season was over. When the "Birds of Paradise presents: The Billie Holiday Show" tour tickets went on sale, they were sold out in a day. In addition to the tour, Cody and Heather were already heading back to the studio a mere two months after the album was released, but they mostly discussed ideas for a Christmas album as their next record.

"And that should be it," Heather commented while looking at her list. "The tour schedule will go out tomorrow with a total of 126 shows in 63 cities across two continents."

"It's such a shame we couldn't include Australia on our tour schedule," Cody remarked. "I bet we would've had crowds as far as the eye could see."

"I wanted to play down there also, but the venues were booked for the next four months during the time we were planning on being down there, and the rest of the venues wouldn't wait," Heather replied.

"We could make it up by playing a few festivals down there in the summer. I'll tell that to our manager the next time we meet up." Cody added.

"That's a good idea actually. However, I want to make sure that you'll be okay doing all of these shows for almost four months non-stop." Heather pointed out.

"I'll be fine. I have you as my support system, Heather, and if I get overwhelmed, we can cancel any of the shows and refund their money. However, I think that as long as I have you, I'll be fine. Besides, I'm a different person now mentally."

"Alright, Cody, I believe in you. Say, how's the list coming along?"

"Great actually. I have up to thirty different potential Christmas songs we can record." Cody answered, going through a few ideas he had already written down.

"The best thing about this album is that we can work on the road if needed. However, I think we can get the list and permission forms all done before we leave."

"I think so too if we don't have any troubles."

For a while afterwards, they didn't say much since they were busy making phone calls and working out the details amongst the fine print of various papers. After an hour of working, Cody broke the silence. "I got a call from my parents today."

"Oh and what did they have to say?" Heather asked.

"Nothing this time. They've invited us over to dinner tomorrow night and I told them that we would be delighted to come." Cody said.

Heather had a look of terror on her face. "You did what?!"

"Now Heather, I know you don't think highly of my parents, but-"

"But what Cody? Tell me what the but is! I can't believe that you're so naïve! These are the same parents that disowned you when you were in the band and have never supported your career."

"I know Heather, but have you thought that maybe they are coming around and want to extend an olive branch?"

"Again, I can't believe you! This sounds like a trap. They're pretending to be supportive of you, but they want you to come back to them and give up your life. I know where this is going and I won't let you make a fool of yourself twice."

"What do you know about my family?" Cody asked, finally seeing the need to defend himself. "You've never even met my parents so you shouldn't say things like that."

"I shouldn't say things like that? You're the one who told me that! It came from your fucking lips!" Heather yelled.

"Well goddamn it! Maybe I realize that I could be in the wrong. Why don't you do the same!"

"I don't need to because I know that I'm right Cody! Are you too blind or stupid to see that?"

By this point, Heather had tears in her eyes. "I love you Cody, but I don't want to see you heartbroken. I don't want us to fight about your parents, but can't you see that I'm trying to help you? I just want you to be happy. That's all I want from you is happiness."

Heather turned away from Cody and wiped the tears from her eyes. Cody stood there speechless, not knowing what to say or do. Finally, he walked up to Heather and gave her a deep hug. "I know that you love me, Heather, since I love you also. I just want you to give my parents a chance."

"It going to take a lot more besides begging to get me to change my mind."

"Well, I was thinking about that and I have an offer that you can't refuse."

"And what would that offer be?"

Cody paused to think about it. He thought deeply and thoroughly as to what he could offer. Finally, it came to him and he cast a smirk the Grinch would've been envious of. He motioned for Heather to come over to him. When she did, he whispered into her ear despite the fact that they were the only ones in their house. When he finished whispering, Heather smirked. "Oh ho ho, you dirty pervert."

"Does that mean you'll take my offer?" Cody cockily asked.

"Hell yes. Not only will I have dinner with your parents, but I'll even go all out for this dinner." Heather replied. "So when does that offer come around?"

"How about now," Cody added.

"I'll take it," Heather said as she raced up their flight of stairs to their bedroom with Cody in hot pursuit while they both were disregarding various clothing items along the way.

* * *

After a long night of passionate lovemaking, Cody and Heather left early the next morning to get to Quebec, where his parents lived. They stopped halfway for lunch and left an hour later. They spent most of the day on the road. By the time they reached the suburbs of Quebec City, where his parents lived, it was sundown and night was about to fall upon them. "Are we spending the night at your parent's house or at a hotel somewhere?" Heather asked.

"As of right now, I have no idea. If they offer us rooms, we'll stay there. If not, we'll just stay at a hotel in the city and go back tomorrow." Cody pointed out. "Will that work out for you?"

"I guess so." She replied. "I'm just nervous about meeting your parents."

"I'm sure they'll like you so you shouldn't worry." He added.

Heather didn't reply. She was busy pondering why this was happening. She knew how Cody and his parents were based on what she told him. Born into a wealthy stockholding family company, Cody always had everything that he wanted, but despite all of the material things he had, he wanted love and affection the most. However, his mother and father disapproved of him since not only was he different from the rest of the family, be he stood out like a sore thumb. They used this to ridicule him at every chance and pointed out his flaws and faults while praising his older brother, Andrew, for being the perfect child.

As time went on, Cody started to rebel against his parents and resisted their attempts to make him into something that he didn't want to be. When his parents found out that he wanted to be a singer, his father beat the crap out of him and reminded him of his duty to serve the family company. Despite the violence, Cody kept resisting his parents, even with he signed up for the show. He wanted to prove his parents wrong, but instead, his parents used the promotion and his time on the show to further their image and wealth. When Cody joined The Drama Brothers, his parents kicked him out.

Things between them soured when his brother, and heir to the family business, Andrew was shot down in broad daylight. Cody was overseas at the time, but his parents didn't inform him for almost five months, and when he finally found out, he fell into a state of depression that started a chain of events which lead to his nervous breakdown.

* * *

It didn't take them long afterward to reach Cody's parent's house. To say it was a house was an understatement. It was a mansion, but such a large mansion that it could've been called a palace. The neoclassical architecture and monumental sculpture showed wealth and power on a scale Heather never imagined before. After driving through the wooded avenue, they came up to the portico. "Holy shit." She thought to herself as she looked at the huge estate that made them like midgets. Cody did tell her that his parents were wealthy, but she didn't expect them to be that wealthy.

As they got out of the car, Heather had lumps in her throat. Cody was ringing his hands like crazy. They looked at each other briefly before grabbing each other's hands and walking up to the portico. They rung the doorbell and moments later, a typical, stiff butler opened the door. "Mr. Anderson, so nice of you to make it. Your parents will be down in a moment. Please head to the drawing room." He greeted Cody, formal but with a proper amount of warmth as well.

"Thank you, Walter." Cody acknowledged. He and Heather walked in and headed to the left. When they entered the drawing room and sat down on a sofa, which was stiff and uncomfortable to their dismay. They sat for a moment before Cody shot up. "Oh shoot. I forgot something in the car. I'll be right back."

After Cody left, Heather looked all around her and saw ornate paintings, sculptures, vases, tapestries, furniture, carpets, and other things as far as she could. Seeing all of the things that his parents owned made Heather wonder if she looked like a bum.

Cody came back moments later. "I forgot to get these out of the car." He told Heather while handing her a white gardenia to put in her hair.

"Cody, do you think I look a bit shabby?" She asked after putting the gardenia in her hair.

"No, I don't think so. Why would you say such a thing like that?"

"Seeing all of the opulent things your parents have everywhere makes my dress look cheap."

"Don't think that way. Although my parents have a taste for material items, they're really simple and humble deep down."

"Well-"

Before Heather could reply to Cody's statement, Walter came back into the living room. "Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are coming down the stairs. Please be ready to greet them."

"Thank you, Walter."

When the butler left again, Cody stood up. Heather quickly realized that she needed to stand up also. Moments later, a middle-aged couple entered the room, whom Heather assumed to be his parents. For a few moments, none of them spoke but just looked at each other. On one side was Cody and Heather, dressed in a simple suit and full-length navy and orange gown respectfully while on the other stood a man in an evening tuxedo and a woman in an evening gown with a lot of jewelry on her neck and hands.

Finally, Cody broke the silence. "Hello, Mother. Hello Father. You guys look wonderful."

"Thank you son." His father briefly spoke.

"Who's the woman with you?" His mother asked before inspecting Heather. "And what is she wearing?"

"Mother, Father, this is my girlfriend, Heather Wilson. Heather, this is my parents."

"A pleasure to meet you both." Heather calmly replied. "And to answer your question, Mrs. Anderson, I'm wearing a full-length navy and orange long sleeve cotton giraffe print dress made by Valentino for their fall collection."

"Ah, Valentino. I remember when I used to like their fashions, but they look so cheap now that I don't wear them anymore." Cody's mother pedantically replied, waving it off.

Heather was about to respond when Cody spoke up. "Say, why don't we go and have dinner now? I'm sure you guys have been waiting for us to arrive."

"Darn right we have. You need to learn to manage your time wisely young man." His father replied. "But why are we standing here for? Off to the dining room we go."

As the four of them headed to the dining room, Heather had a clearly annoyed look while Cody tried to maintain a calm appearance. This evening was going to be quite longer than what either of them imagined.

During dinner, Heather and Cody hardly spoke because his parents wouldn't let them have much of an opportunity. In a forty-five minute period of eating, Cody and Heather had a combined six minutes of talking time in total. That was because his parents mostly talked about how they acquired their wealth, Cody's family history, and about his older brother, Andrew, who died in a car crash years ago and how they wanted him to be their heirs in the family business.

By the time they got to dessert, Heather had the patience of an ant while Cody was bored of the constant denial of being able to talk by his parents. As Walter came around to serve dessert, Cody excused himself to find the restroom. When he left, Heather straightened the gardenia within her hair and faced his parents. "So…" She started before being silenced by his parents.

"What are you doing ruining our son's life?" His father asked, formal but condescending as well.

Hearing that felt like a slap in the face, and felt little reason to hold back anymore. "I'm _ruining_ his life? You can't be serious right now? Are you?"

"Well, he's in a career that we don't approve of. We want our son to come home and take up his position in the family."

"Hasn't it occurred to you all that he doesn't want to do that because of how you treated him? My god, I never meet parents who are so selfish and rude toward their only son." Heather indignantly exclaimed before she off-handedly realized how annoying it must've been for people when they thought the same of her.

"Selfish? Rude? We do that because we love him." His mother added.

"Oh don't give me that crock of shit speech over what you guys consider love. You want your son to do what you want him to do, but has it occurred to either of you that he has a life of his own to live? And that's he's doing that right now?"

"You shouldn't say that you hussy. You don't know how Andrew was like."

"There you go again. You're comparing Cody to his dead brother! And I wouldn't be the one to talk. Neither one of you knows how Cody's like."

"How dare you say such a thing."

"I don't care. It's about time you get a taste of your medicine and to realize how awful you guys been. Take for example-"

* * *

After washing his hands, Cody turned off the sink. He didn't know what kind of food his parents had served, but he knew that it didn't agree with him. He patted his cheeks since the food was also making him quite tired. "Perhaps desert will wake me up." He thought.

He headed back to the dining room, but when he heard an argument, he stayed in the shadows while he heard a showdown between his parents.

"- break up with him and forget about this future you two have."

"Have you both lost your fucking minds? There's no way in hell I'm going to leave him. He deserves better than what you both are."

His father yelled, "How dare you say that!"

His mother screamed, "You don't know my baby!"

Heather cooly replied, "I do know him. Look, you're not going to intimidate me into leaving him. It won't work."

"But we have arranged a marriage with him! His place is with us!"

"No, it's not! It's his life! Let him decide what's best for him and keep it that way."

"I've had it with your attitude, tramp. It's time to show you where your place is."

Cody heard his father get up. Seconds later, he Heather trying to run or scream, but kept hearing a muffling noise. When he peaked around the corner, Cody saw his father hurting Heather and trying to strangle her. When she bit him, he ripped the gardenia out of her hair was about to slap her, when he suddenly felt a shove that caused him to land on the ground. When he looked up, he saw Cody enraged. "What is going on here?" He yelled, looking up at his father. "I demand an answer and I want it now!"

Neither of his parents spoke. He looked at Heather and despite the anger in his voice calmly ask her, "Heather, are you alright? What happened?"

"Do you want to know what happened?" Heather asked while getting up. "Well, I'll be glad to tell you. Your parents decided to try and intimidate me into leaving you, and when they saw that it wasn't working, tried to hurt me."

"Oh come on now, son. You don't expect to-"

"You don't get a say, dad. And don't you dare lie to me. I overheard most of the conversation. I can't believe the nerve of you guys."

"Cody Emmet Jameson Anderson. That's no way to talk to your father. Why-"

"Oh save your breath mom! Neither of you guys has ever respected what I wanted to do. All of my childhood, you guys always compared me to Andrew, saying how I needed to be like him and how I should do everything just like him. Even after he died, you all kept comparing me to him and expected me to just put on his shoes and be eager to live this arrogant wealthy lifestyle and take over the family business someday. I'm not that kind of person! I've always wanted to do my own thing and be who I want to be whether you guys like it or not.

"And another thing. I love Heather with all my heart. She may not meet your standards and be the person that matches your high and mighty standards, but I love her the way she is. I love the fact we made a jazz album together and a have a successful album. You know why? She's always been there for me ever since we started dating. She always made sure that I would be okay and that I could have a faithful and confident foundation in her. She's made me happy unlike you guys, who were never there for me when I got bullied when I was made a laughing stock on national TV, and when I was battling a nervous breakdown along with drug and alcohol abuse. Where were you all when I needed help? Nowhere to be found. You all were too busy living your elegant lives and not caring about your only son."

Cody sighed after his monologue, both out of fatigue and annoyance. "Heather's right. I should've never come. You guys can take your plans, your arranged marriage, your desire to have me as your puppet in the company and shove them up your ass. As far as I'm concerned, you guys aren't my parents. You guys are monsters."

Before either one of his parents could speak, Cody grabbed the gardenia that his father ripped out of Heather's hair and handed it back to her. "You won't have to worry about us again. We'll be leaving now."

After Cody walked out, Heather followed right behind him and went to the car. She sat in the driver's seat and drove off. She looked at Cody, who had tears in his eyes. "How could I've been so stupid? Why didn't I believe you in the first place, Heather?" He sobbed only after he had mustered the courage to speak.

"I really don't know the answer to that. However, now you finally saw what I meant." She explained, consoling but stern.

"I thought they had changed. I really did. From the way they sounded, they were willing to accept my career and finally accept me for who I am. But, as usual, it was an attempt to trap me and to force me back under their shadow and act like a puppet. Well, I won't make that mistake again. They're no longer my parents as far as I'm concerned."

"But are you okay though?"

"I'm not okay right now, but as time goes on, I think I'll be alright. We should be more worried about you. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine actually."

"So dad didn't hurt you in any way?" Cody insistently asked, concerned.

"Minus a few hard squeezes and ripping the gardenia out of my hair, I wasn't hurt any."

"I just can't believe that he had done that."

"What? Either trying to strangle me or ripping the gardenia out of my hair?"

"Both."

Heather shook her head in disbelief. "I thought that the strangling would've concerned you more."

"Well it did. It- I- oh you know what I mean!" Cody replied, stumbling over his words.

"I'm just messing with you. I know what you mean." Heather added with a smile, a first after the emotionally-laden evening.

"Say, why don't we find a hotel for the night?" Cody asked. "I'm starting to get tired."

"That'll be fine by me. All I want to do is sleep and forget that this ever happened."

"You're not the only one who wants to do that also, trust me."

* * *

After they got back home, Cody received a packet of letters indicating that he had been disowned, cut of the will, and couldn't inherit the family business. He signed off on those, cutting his ties with his parents forever. However, he discovered a loophole they made. Nowhere in the documents did they discuss the amount of stock holds they had given to him over the course of ten years, which amounted to ten thousand shares. Cody quickly sold them for forty-nine dollars a share and was about to earn $490,000 off of the bonds, which was a form of revenge and satisfaction for Cody.

In order to make up for the horrible experience they had with his parents, Heather took Cody to meet her family in Vancouver a few weeks later. Her family adored Cody the moment they first meet him and always asked him questions, to which he would always answer no matter what. Her parents approved of him and were so proud of them both for their careers. Heather's family was always something that Cody wanted but never thought that he would have. They were supportive, proud, and loving, traits that he never recognized in his own parents.

* * *

Weeks later, Cody and Heather were at home when Heather felt her phone ring. It was their manager so she answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, is Cody there with you?"

"Yes, he's here with me. What's up?"

"Put your phone on speaker."

Heather did as she was told and turned the speaker button on.

"Can you hear me now?" He asked.

"Yes." They both answered.

"Good. Well, I got some fantastic news for you guys."

"Well, what is it?" Cody asked.

"Come on, just tell us!" Heather added.

"If you guys won't interrupt me, then I can tell you! Well, congratulations guys! You're going to the Grammys with five nominations!"

For a few moments, Cody and Heather didn't know what to say, but when they heard the news that they had five nominations, they erupted into cheers and were screaming for joy while jumping up and down. "What did we get nominated in?" They asked.

"Well, your guys cover of "Body and Soul" got nods in Record and Song of the Year, "Good Morning Heartache" got a nod in Best Pop Duo Performance while the album got nods in both Best Jazz Vocal Album and Album of the Year."

"Oh my gosh, this is amazing!"

"I don't believe this! This must be a dream of something."

"Well believe me guys, it's not a dream. I'm going to let you go so that you can celebrate, but I'll call you tomorrow and let you know all of the details or unless you want them now."

"No no, tomorrow will be fine," Cody commented.

"We can wait a few hours," Heather added.

"Alright. I'll call you again tomorrow morning, but congrats on your nods! The studio's going to be excited when I tell them the news."

After he hung up, Cody and Heather broke out a bottle of champagne and went crazy. They couldn't believe it! They never expected their album to be a hit, but they never dreamed of receiving nominations for five Grammys, let alone this early in their young career. This was a reward, in their view, for working so hard and dedicating themselves to not only jazz, but to show they had what it took to stand up to modern culture and show that sometimes, bringing a new voice to a person's music had more of a powerful effect than trying to take culture down a path which it could not escape from.

While they were celebrating, a thunderstorm brewed outside. While neither Heather and Cody knew it, a storm was brewing on the horizon that was about to ignite a spark and cause a mild conflict to explode front and center on the world's stage.

* * *

 **And there you have it guys! Since there hadn't been any drama up until this point, this chapter was filled with quite the drama to show that even Cody and Heather have friction and tension in their relationship and plus, it also makes the story more realistic. c:**

 **So I did keep my promise and got an update in November, and I will start on the next chapter in a few weeks when the semester is done and I have more time to write. But yeah, are you guys excited? The next chapter is going to be the Grammys and there will be a lot that will be happening! I'm curious to see what you guys think will happen in the next chapter and beyond that. Let me know what you think!**

 **And once again, a huge thank you to Lowland Warrior for editing this. If you want to see us writing together, check out our co-write under the title, "No Honor Amongst Thieves" which is an amazing story! It's full of drama, action, and romance (just what everyone wants)! :D**

 **So until next time! Please read, review, favor, alert, and spread the word!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Five_

 _-Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success- (Swami Sivananda)_

* * *

Heather looked at the different gowns that were on the rack and sighed. She had spent all day going through dozens of batches and between fifty to a hundred gowns in each batch, trying to find _the_ dress to wear at the Grammys. So far, though, she had no luck. None of the dresses really screamed out to her and looked bland compared to what most people normally wore at award shows. "God! Why is dress shopping so hard?!" She cried out in frustration.

"Simply because you can't decide what to wear." Cody dryly acknowledged.

"Did I ask you?" Heather asked her boyfriend.

"No, but I decided to add my input regardless if you asked or not."

Heather just rolled her eyes before going back to the gowns on the rack. Again, she had no luck with picking out a dress. "Still haven't found one you like?" The designer asked.

"No, I haven't." Heather coldly replied, as if it couldn't be any more obvious. "And I'm about to give up since nothing you've shown me is what I had in mind."

The designer paused for a moment before snapping his fingers. "I could bring out some sketches of some new gowns I'm making and let you pick out which sketch you like and make the first gown just for you."

"Would you really do that?"

"Normally I wouldn't do this for all of my costumes, but seeing as to how distressed you are, I make exceptions. If you don't mind telling me, what is the gown for?"

"The Grammys."

"Oh lord, the most important show right behind the Oscars and you're attending! Oh dear me! I'll go get those sketches right away."

After the designer left, Cody just shook his head. "Did he act a little over dramatic, almost like CP3O, there?"

"Probably, but he is just like CP3O, running around and not knowing what to do." Heather added.

"It stills blows me away that you like Star Wars."

"Well, I give you credit for having nerve and balls to introduce me to science fiction movies, which are not half as bad as what the average queen bee would think."

"Or basically yourself."

"Do you have death wish?" Heather asked, her question balancing between playful and legitimately threatening.

"You know that I'm just teasing you. All guys should get to tease and joke at their girls every once in a while."

Heather just responded with a playful punch toward Cody. They both still couldn't believe that they would be attending the biggest award show in a month and they would leave for Los Angeles in a few weeks. Hollywood. It didn't seem real that they were going to the entertainment capital and potentially bring back a few awards home, but they took things one step at a time in order to not complicate their minds and get overexcited, only for their hopes to be smashed.

The designer came back moments later with half of a dozen sketches and some fabric samples. "Here are the one of a kind gowns I've been working on. I'll let you look through these drawings and let you pick the fabric color you want."

Heather went through the sketches and it wasn't long until she found a gown she took a shining to. "Ooh, this is gorgeous." She commented.

"I love this one. It's shoulderless but flows nicely to the bottom and naturally moves with the body." The designer replied.

"I think this is the one," Heather confidently declared. "Cody, what do you think?"

After looking at the sketch, Cody nodded. "I think it's beautiful."

"Splendid! By the way, what color do you want the gown to be?"

"Green, with maybe some white gardenias added as an accessory."

"Alright! We'll just need your measurements and I'll get started on it right away."

With the dress issue out of the way, Cody and Heather were all set to leave for Los Angeles; all set for what they hoped was going to be a fun and memorable week- except that they still had a month to go until they left, but they were counting the days with much fanfare and excitement. They hoped that this would add a new chapter to their lives and be a stepping stone toward their future.

* * *

When they left Toronto Pearson International Airport a month later, they left without much fanfare and in coach since they wanted to keep everything simple and on the downside for their first major award show. Despite them being in coach from Toronto to Los Angeles, their management had booked one of the best hotels in the city- the Hotel Cortez. The hotel dated from the Art Deco era and while it's exterior and public rooms maintained the original décor, the rest of the hotel had been refurbished in a modern luxury style in order to bring back the golden era the hotel had prior to the depression of the 1930's. It was also not far from all of the Hollywood attractions so that was a nice bonus as well.

"It's no Beverly Hills or anything, but it's still one of the best hotels in the city and for the deal, our management got us and the whole band, you couldn't blow me out of here." Cody pointed out while unpacking.

"Only downside is that it has no outdoor pool, but I guess I can live," Heather replied.

"You have to consider that we've made it this far. I would go crazy if I lost you." Cody added.

"Same," Heather said. Just about that time, her cell phone rung and she answered. "Hello?"

Cody didn't pay much attention to what Heather was saying until she screamed, "Are you serious?!" Looking up, he saw his girlfriend to explode with rage. "But you all said that we- All right, understood. We're on our way."

The fact that she slammed her phone onto the floor was not a good sign. "Honey, is everything okay?" He asked.

"No, I'm afraid not." She said after taking a deep sigh, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her. "That was the host of the Grammys. He called and said that unless our segment got cut down, The Drama Brothers threatened to boycott the show. We have to meet him and discuss a compromise on our part."

The only reply that came from Cody was a simple but effective, "Oh Christ." He paused for a moment. "I got a bad feeling about this."

"Could it really be _that_ bad?" Heather asked.

"I have no idea, but the fact that my former bandmates are causing us a headache is not a good start to this week. We better go right away." He mused while grabbing his coat.

"I just hope this will be the only issue that we encounter." She said while grabbing their room keys and her cell phone.

Needless to say, this turned out to be the start of a series of bad omens.

Cody and Heather spent almost an hour talking with the host and producers of the Grammys in order to find a solution. Luckily for everyone, The Drama Brothers hadn't said anything on social media so they were able to keep things under wraps. In return for agreeing to a one number performance, both Heather and Cody got the satisfaction of not only seeing Best Jazz Vocal Album being part of the main televised show, but they also got seats toward the front. This satisfied both sides enough to where it would remain under wraps and no one would ever speak of this. Ever.

After they left the producers, both Heather and Cody asked if they could go on ahead and start practice a day early. Since there was no one going to be there until late evening, the producer agreed to their request. After calling the band members and telling them to get down to the Staples Center, they arrived twenty minutes later and were set up in no time. "Hey, what song are we doing?" One of the band members asked.

"That's what we're trying to figure out. Give us a moment." They both replied.

Cody and Heather turned back toward the notepad they had written their original list on. "I say we go with this one." Cody pointed out while pointing to a particular song on the list.

"Are you sure?" Heather asked. "I mean, I know that it's a solo on the record, but as a duet? I don't know if it'll work."

"I think it will since I know you have the vocal potential and emotion within your voice. I say the time is right. We may never get another chance like this." Cody replied.

"You're right. Besides, it'd be kind of unique for the both of us to perform this together." Heather acknowledged.

"Most people have never heard this is duet form. This will probably leave them speechless."

"Or furious, but we'll never know if we don't try."

After nodding in agreement, they turn to their band and announced what song they had decided on and the band cheered since it was one of their favorites to do instrumentals on due to its simple notes, but the strong effect that it would have on the audience.

Despite that being solved, it seemed as if the universe was not done trying to screw them over. When they left practice, paparazzi were swooning all over me, trying to get their pictures and ask questions. In order to get away from them, Cody and Heather had to go down several dark alleys, where they didn't know if they were going to get mugged. To their relief, they weren't, but being chased by the paparazzi caused them to change their plans. They would leave early in the morning and won't come back until after sunset in order to avoid being bombarded by the press. They would also wear a disguise in order to keep a low appearance. While they adored their fans and wouldn't mind posing or signing autographs for them, that usually caused the paparazzi to be on their tail and that was the last thing they needed. By keeping low, they could remain under the radar until the day of the Grammys.

When they got back to their hotel room, they saw a box outside of the door and wondered what it was.

"Oh! This must be my dress!" Heather cried out when she saw the note on the box.

"Well, it's good that they got to you a few days early. Now you'll be all set for the show." Cody replied while they re-entered their room.

"I'll go try it on now so that you can tell me what you think," Heather added while taking the dress and going to the bathroom. Cody flopped down on the bed and sighed a feeling of relaxation. However, that feeling was shattered when he heard Heather scream, "AHHHHH!"

Cody jumped up and ran toward the bathroom. "What's the matter? What's wrong?" He asked. He got his answer a moment later when Heather came out with the dress. The only thing she said was, "It's ruined."

Cody took the dress from Heather. "Oh come on now. You're probably overreacting. Why-" He stopped when he unfolded the dress and saw the disaster it was. "Now that's ugly."

Heather was trying her best to fight back the tears. "I thought that this was perfect, but the designer screwed it up. I said that I wanted gardenias to go with the dress, not on it as a pattern. This is on top of the fact that it's almost a puke green color. I wanted this to be perfect, but now, I don't even have a dress to wear."

Heather started sobbing into Cody's shoulder while he patted her back. "It's okay Heather. I promise you that everything will be alright."

"How? HOW?!" She cried. "The Grammys are this weekend and I don't have a dress to wear."

"Well, I'm sure we can find something in Hollywood. There are dozens of dress shops with one of a kind gowns. Why don't you go shopping tomorrow and see what you can find." He replied.

"But what if I don't find one?"

"Oh, I'm sure there'll be a dress which will scream your name."

"You do?"

"I do. Now go and take a nice hot bath. I'll take care of the dress."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course I would, Heather. I hate seeing you upset. I'll make sure that you get your money back."

"Words can't begin to describe the amount of care I have for you Cody."

"Same here. Isn't there a bath calling your name?"

"There is! There is! I'm going now."

Cody chuckled his head while Heather went into the bathroom. When he heard the bath water running, he grabbed his cellphone and dialed the number. This was going to be one long call, he thought, but for her sake, I'm going to do this or bust.

* * *

The next morning, Heather woke up searching for Cody. When she felt nothing, she shot up and saw a note on the bed. She unfolded it and read the following:

 _Heather,_

 _I went out a bit early to get a surprise for you. Will be back soon._

 _-Cody_

Heather smiled. She wondered what her surprise was. She didn't have to wait long. She heard the hotel door open and in came Cody with a big box. "Where have you been?" Heather asked.

"I woke up early and went shopping," Cody replied. "After having to deal with the refund for your dress and sending that back last night, I felt bad and decided to make it up to you."

"Aww, you didn't have to do that," Heather added. "So what did you get me?"

"You'll have to find out," Cody said while handing her the box. Heather untied the ribbon on the box and opened the lid. After peeling back the tissue paper, she was left speechless by the box's contents. "You got me a new dress?"

"Well I went with my hunch on picking it out and this spoke to me. I know you wanted to pick out a dress and if you hate it, I can return it-"

"No no no no! I love it! This is the most gorgeous thing I've ever owned. Thank you so much."

She gave Cody a deep hug before giving him a kiss, which he returned eagerly. "All I ask is that you don't try it on until the day of the Grammys. I want to be surprised by how you look like. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can." She replied. "I'll do anything for you."

"And I'll do anything for you."

"I know.'' Heather breathed before she sat down on their bed to let everything sink a little. ''Say, Cody. Did you ever imagine any of this would happen when the album came out? That a wrong dress would be one of our biggest problems?"

"Honestly no. When I did the album with you, Heather, I was expecting some mild success, but nothing his major. It almost feels like that we're in a dream of sorts and that when we wake up, we'll be back in the life we lived before all of this."

"Sometimes, I feel the same way, but I never expected all of this to happen so fast. My main fear is that we're going to let the fame get to our heads and make us into people that we're not." Cody explained with gradually increasing concern as he sat down next to her.

"I fear that too. Perhaps once when this is over, we go on a long much-needed vacation and think about what directions we want to head in next." Heather suggested.

"A vacation sounds like a good idea. I feel the need to recharge my batteries before the tour starts. Thankfully we have until June to take time off and rest as much as we can." Heather remarked, her heart already longing for the peace and her mind fantasizing about the holiday. Heather then rested her head on Cody's shoulder. "I don't know how you feel, but I'd like to spend at least one day out and about in Hollywood before we have to go home."

"That's a wonderful idea and after the disaster the last few days have been, I think we do deserve a day to ourselves." Cody acknowledged while playing with her hair.

"Well, what should we do today?" She asked.

"First, eat. Then, get dressed. After that, decide what to do from there." He pointed out.

"Sounds like a good idea to me!"

And that's what they did. After ordering breakfast and telling the band to have the day off as well, they ate quite a hearty breakfast. Of course, getting ready took long since Cody and Heather ended up taking a shower together. They thought that showering together would save them time and allow them to start their day earlier, but it caused their hormones to act up as they gave in to their urges and made love. That wasn't part of their original plan, but one thing lead to another and it wasn't until well after ten before they finally left their hotel room, with some sort of twinkle in their eyes and a dazed look on their faces.

They first went to the beach, but quickly left when the press started chasing after them for pictures. Afterwards, they decide to put on some sunglasses and hats in order to better blend in with the crowds. After they left the beach, Cody and Heather went to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and stopped to see a few of their favorite stars before going on. They kept walking until they made it to Grauman's Chinese Theatre. They spent about an hour putting their hands and feet into some of the six hundred impressions the theatre had to offer. Once when they finished that, they spent the rest of the day eating out and doing some shopping. It wasn't much that they did, but it felt nice for them to get away from the stress of the Grammys and to spend some time winding down and relaxing. It felt nice for them to act young, wild, and free- to some extent.

Before either one of them knew it, the next few days were busy between practices and doing interviews for some of the various shows in Hollywood. From sunrise to sunset, there was always something to be done, something to accomplish in order to be one step closer toward the Grammys. Sometimes, it felt like that the world came crashing down all around them as they had to go from one thing to the next without much of a pause, but they knew that it was going to be alright when the last practice was done on Saturday night.

"And that's a wrap!" Cody cried out, to which the whole band erupted into cheers. As they started to pack up, Heather added, "All right guys, get some good sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

Cody and Heather helped the band to pack up their instruments and put them back where they were supposed to be prior to tomorrow's performance. After everyone left, instead of taking a taxi back to their hotel, Heather and Cody decided to walk since it was a cool modest night.

"I can't believe that around this time tomorrow, we'll be attending the Grammys. I know that it's upon us, but it doesn't seem real." Heather pointed out.

"I know. To think we may be walking away with up to five awards tomorrow." Cody replied. He didn't say much since he seemed to be in a world of his own, which didn't go unnoticed by Heather.

"Cody, what's the matter?" She asked.

"Nothing's the matter." He quickly added.

"No, something's wrong. I can feel it in my bones."

"Well, alright. There's something wrong."

"Well, what is it?"

"Well, I'm getting it. Have you ever had a fear that despite the success that comes your way, you end up feeling like a failure when that success is not recognized?"

"Somewhat."

"Well, that's how I currently feel. I know that we've made a pact to still make music no matter what, and while being nominated is still a high accomplishment for us, I'm just afraid that if we lose, my former bandmates will have a field day and make the claim that I was a fool for leaving them and that I've wasted my talents."

Heather stopped and grabbed Cody's shoulders. "I don't want you to ever say that you've wasted your talents ever again, understood?" Cody gave a slight nod before she resumed. "I know that you're an insecure person based on your breakdown and all that, but for Christ's sakes, you have to let the past go. If you keep think it about the past and let it control you, you'll never be a strong person and while I love to death, I can't be the one who always carries the strong pants. You have to step up and carry your weight as well. And it doesn't matter if we don't win or what. If where we are is enough for the future and the things to come, I can live that. But please, Cody, I adore you and want to be a part of your life forever, but you have to man up and let the past die. If not, things are just going around circles and you said that was why you left the band. Think about that carefully."

Cody gave Heather's words deep thought. For quite some time afterward, neither one of them said anything- mostly Cody. Before they got back to the hotel, he finally spoke. "I thought about what you said carefully."

"And?"

"And you're right. I've been thinking about the past too often during these past few months and it often makes me have some sort of anxiety. I need to start letting it go and move onto the future we want to have. I promise you that when tomorrow comes, I will start acting like a new person. I won't let you down, Heather, and I can guarantee that." Cody declared as he held Heather's hands.

"Well, we'll see how you do, but if you give me your word, I'll trust you."

"It might take some time, but I'm going to do everything in my power to prove that I can let it go. I won't even think about them all day tomorrow and when we're at the show, I won't let my emotions get the best of me when it comes to them. I'll put on a brave face as if I'm entering the lion's den all alone."

"But you won't be entering the den with me." Heather pointed out.

"I know. I wouldn't forget you for the world." Cody added.

"If it helps you any when we're at the show tomorrow and if you start to feel your emotions get out of control, just squeeze my hand to calm you down," Heather said.

"Are sure about that?" Cody asked.

"I am. No offense to you, but you have the strength of an ant. I love you, but there's no way you could hurt my hand that bad." Heather acknowledged.

"True. Besides, the only time I have super strength is when I'm boiling angry and I doubt I can ever reach that level of anger again." Cody suggested.

"I wouldn't say never, but at least you understand now."

"And it's all because of you."

* * *

The next morning was Sunday, but it wasn't just any ordinary Sunday. It was Grammy Day!

From the moment they both woke up, they hit the ground running and hardly a moment to stop, except to briefly eat breakfast and lunch. Their day was long since they were getting hair and makeup done, but also got a pedicure, a face mask, waxing and massages as well in order to make them feel relaxed and ready for the show, although the waxing and face mask did quite the opposite of relaxing them.

By late afternoon, they finished with the makeup and while Heather was having her hair done, Cody was getting dressed. "What do you think?" He asked her when he came in wearing his tuxedo. "For this being two years old, it looks brand new so wearing it just once was a huge investment."

"Well you looking dashing, Cody," Heather replied.

"I've been called many things before, but not dashing. So I'll take that compliment." Cody added with a slight chuckle. "The only thing I have to do is fix my hair. You know, for us representing Holiday and the early 1940's, the hair is what gave us a headache."

"How do you think I feel?" Heather asked, pointing out her hair curlers. "If we encounter humidity, my hair will poof up into one of Leshawna's weave Afros."

"Well I checked the weather and we should be good for the humidity. I'll go and finish up." He told her.

An hour and a 1940's hairstyle later, Cody was finished. Now he had to wait for Heather, which made him feel anxious. When waiting for her, a minute felt an hour, an hour felt like a day, and a day felt like an eternity. It wasn't the fact that he didn't mind waiting on her this time, but he felt like that time felt forever since he had no idea what or how Heather was going to look like when she came out. She hadn't said much about what her look was going to be after Cody had bought the dress, and he had a thousand thoughts and ideas as to how she would appear. He tried to not look at the clock and drag on his despair of waiting, his anxiety of wanting to find out.

Just as his patience was about to go and knock the door in order to see what Heather looked like for himself, he heard the door open and when his girlfriend walked through, he was speechless, so speechless at how beautiful she looked that he started to cry. Heather wore a white gown with long sleeves that covered her arms and the back opened a little but had a small cape connected to the dress. Barely seen from the dress were some white flats. Heather had a silver and diamond decorative bracelet with matching earrings and two huge white gardenias within her hair that was shaped in a bun, except for some strands on the sides that went straight down. She also had her bangs trimmed and made sure not to go extravagant on the makeup.

"Why are you crying? Is it awful?" She asked out of fear.

"I'm not crying because it's awful. I'm crying because this is the most gorgeous I've ever seen you." He replied. "My emotions can pretty much tell you how I feel about your look."

"I'm glad that you love it. That means a lot to me. You have no idea how much I worried about whether or not this would work." Heather warmly said.

"Well now, you can put that fear off to the side since we have the Grammys to attend!" Cody acknowledged.

"Well, right after your eyes stop puffing up. I don't want anyone on the carpet to think something's up if you know what I mean." Heather pointed out.

Cody replied, "I get what you're saying. We don't want anyone to think of the wrong idea."

Once when Cody got his eyes back to normal and the redness vanished from his face, they left for the Grammys. They were arriving in style, going by limo from their hotel to the Staples Center, which thankfully was only up to twenty minutes away, half an hour based on Hollywood traffic.

When they arrived at the Staples Center, Cody squeezed Heather's hand. "This is it."

"Once when we get out of the limo, we keep our doubts away and you're a new person on the red carpet." Heather reminded. With a simple nod, Cody understood. Seconds later, the limo door opened and Cody stepped out to help Heather out of the limo.

* * *

The moment they stepped on the red carpet, they heard cheers from the crowd and saw fans waving pictures and pieces of paper around. After signing a few autographs and take a few pictures with fans, Cody and Heather were ushered toward the photo section of the carpet, where members of the press and their cameras would be located. When they arrived, the press started to take pictures and while hundreds of lights flashed, they could hear photographers cry out,

"Over here!"

"Turn your head to the left!"

"Smile this way!"

And other cries they used in order to get their attention. After spending a few minutes taking pictures, they were ushered to the final third of the red carpet before going inside, the interviews. All around them, there were people talking to reporters or just going through the crowds. They were told that they could spend as much time at this part, as long as they made it to their seats before the show started, but after giving a few small interviews, Cody and Heather wanted to make it to their seats as quickly as possible, but they decided instead to spend some time hanging out and socializing with people prior to the show and receiving praises and compliments for their music from several people.

Sometime later, they were about to leave when they saw The Drama Brothers walking their way. Cody gave Heather's hand a squeeze, which was a signal for them to go, but before they could leave, they heard an all familiar, "Cody. Heather."

Both Heather and Cody stopped in their tracks. They turned around and saw Trent, Justin and Harold, but also Gwen, a model named Dakota, and Leshawna respectfully. "Nice to see you again." Trent finally said after a few moments of awkward silence.

"You too," Cody said with no emotion in his voice.

"So you and Heather became a thing? Never thought I'd see that." Chirped Gwen.

"Well, it turns out that Cody and I share a lot in common and that we're really nice people deep down." Heather pointed out.

"Ms. Thing over here thinks that she's nice? Oh no no! I don't believe ya one bit." LeShawna replied.

"Hey now, this is not the time to start throwing insults," Cody warned. "Unless you want a scene, this conversation is over."

The group of six just looked at them for a moment before walking away without saying a word. "Cody, I'm proud of you showing off your new attitude toward them but what was that about?" She asked.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that this will be one hell of an award show to remember." He commented as they went inside.

After a quick pit stop before the show started, they went inside to find their seats. While originally located In the back, their deal pushed them toward the middle front, not quite the front row, but not the back one either, but they did get the edge Sears that were right on their view and left from the stage. From their seats, they could see that the Drama Brothers had front row seats and that each band member was sitting next to their respective lady. "Did we get double crossed?" Heather asked.

"I don't think so," Cody replied. "According to the chart, they were assigned front row seats so I wouldn't say that- yet."

They forgot about their envy about the seats as the introduction background music started playing. A female voice proceeded to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to our host for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards: Peter Jairo."

The audience erupted into cheers as the host ran out and pulled a microphone from his pocket. "Thank you and welcome to the 54th Annual Grammys Awards. I'm your host, Peter Jairo, for those of you that are watching this from home. As for the people in front of me, I have to say that this year has been a year of talent. Never before have we had a gathering of so many talented people from different genres, and also, a lot of fresh talent, who I believe will be coming back to the Grammys for years to come. In front of me, I have the Drama Brothers who are nominated for five Grammys tonight and have had a successful year in terms of five number one hits and the biggest debut of a boyband since NYSC back in 2001."

While most of the audience erupted into the cheers and loud applauses, Cody and Heather clapped lightly. "We also have two huge breakout groups tonight. The first is Arcade Fire who is nominated for three Grammys and have become a sensation in the modern rock world overnight." Cheers erupted again before Peter resumed. "And we can't forget about Birds of Paradise who are nominated for Five Grammys including Song, Record and Album of the Year, which they share with the two groups mentioned above. Birds of Paradise changed music this year by having the first mainstream number one jazz single in years and brought jazz front and center into culture and brought recognition toward a legend who hardly received any recognition during her lifetime, that of the wonderful Bille Holiday."

Cody and Heather wave to the audience as they received a round of applause before smiling back at Peter. "Wait a minute, I just realized something. The three bands I mentioned are from Canada. They're all Canadians. Say, have you heard about the war between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia?"

"No!" The audience cried out.

"Well, in case you didn't know, this war has been going on for quite some time, but it's such a private affair that it's not made international news. Anyways, as I was saying, this war is deadly since the Newfies are lobbing hand grenades while the Nova Scotians are pulling the pins and throwing them back."

The whole audience erupted into loud laughter at Peter's joke, especially all of the Canadians that were present. "I better not say anymore before the RCMP comes after me." Peter pointed out. "But besides these Canadian artists, we have so many wonderfully talented people not only in America but from around the world that's present with us tonight. We have with us…"

Cody looked at Heather and smiled. She returned the gesture by grabbing his hand and held onto it. "How are you holding up?" He asked.

"Fine. Although I wish we can start the awards already." She replied. "You?"

"I'm good I'm in the same boat as you."

"It feels good not be alone for once."

They turned back to hear Peter. "As much as I love to continue all night, we have an award show to kick underway so without further delay, presenting the Best Pop Duo Performance award, please welcome six-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys!"

The audience roared into applause as the legendary modern R&B singer made her way to the front of the stage. "Thank you." She told the crowd, recognizing and accepting their applause. "Each year, we have some amazing songs in this category that are nominated for their quality vocal or instrumental recordings. Here are the nominees for Best Pop Duo Performance:

The announcer's voice that greeted Peter earlier spoke while the nominations were revealed on the screen for everyone to see.

" _The nominees are:_

 _Tonight is the Night- The Drama Brothers_  
 _Good Morning Heartache- Birds of Paradise_  
 _Paradise- Coldplay_  
 _Pumped Up Kicks- Foster the People_  
 _Dearest- The Black Keys."_

"And the winner is…" Everyone held their breath as she broke the envelope. "Tonight is the Night- The Drama Brothers!" Everyone cheered as Cody's former band walked up to the stage to accept their Grammy. While they joined in the applause, Heather and Cody done so mildly. They signed while Trent grabbed the award. "Thank you guys so much!" He told the audience. "I wouldn't expect us to win the award a second time around, but…"

While Trent was talking, Cody gave Heather's hand a light squeeze. "Is everything okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine. I just wanted you to know that if we win the Jazz Album award, I'll let you speak for us both." He commented.

"You'd really do that? But I thought that you'd like to speak." She pointed out.

"Well, I do, except that I want to do it at the end. I have a feeling we'll be getting something toward the end." He replied.

"But how do you know Cody?"

"Trust me, Heather, I just know. It's a feeling I can't get rid of."

* * *

Once when the Drama Brothers finished their acceptance speech, several performances were done and one or two more awards were given out, it was time for the Best Jazz Vocal Album award to be given out. "Please welcome to the stage fifteen-time Grammy winner, including tonight's Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Tony Bennett!"

As the audience stood up to welcome to the legendary Jazz musician, Cody and Heather were shocked. Tony Bennett was one of several jazz artists they both admired and listened to early on in the development stages of their record. They couldn't believe that the legendary artist was to present the second reward they were nominated for and hopefully won.

"When you get to be my age, you see many generations of artists rise and fall, but the Grammys always recognizes those whose talents will endure for decades to come. As a jazz singer, I've seen jazz come back to the mainstream stage in ways that I never expected. This year has been no exception. The nominees in this category are some of the best I've seen in the business and I know they will carry the torch from this generation to the next. These are the nominees for Best Jazz Vocal Album:

 _"The nominees are:_

 _Body and Soul- Birds of Paradise_  
 _'Round Midnight- Karrin Allyson_  
 _The Gate- Kurt Elling_  
 _American Road- Tierney Sutton_  
 _The Music of Randy Newman- Roseanna Vitro."_

"And the winner is…" Cody and Heather held their breath as Tony Bennett opened the envelope and read the winner. They squeezed each other's hands in order to not collapse from the anxiety, to which their fears were vanquished when the jazz master read, "… Body and Soul- Birds of Paradise!"

Cody and Heather cried out in joy. They had done it! They won their first award of the night! Their fears of going home empty-handed were just illusions. Even if they walked away with just one award, it would have been worth more than anything else in the world. They hugged each other before going in for a kiss. After they kissed, they walked toward the stage while receiving handshakes, graduations, and applauses from the audience. After making it to the stage, with Cody helping Heather up, of course, they both hugged Tony Bennett and thanked him while Heather walked up to the microphone.

"Thank you so much." She told the audience amongst a sea of cheers. "I never expected this to happen, any of this. Both me and Cody appreciate this beyond what words can say, but I want to say that this award is not just for us, but for Billie. Throughout her life, she was never rewarded for her work and died a broken person and left behind a body of work which has influenced artists for the past fifty years. So Billie, thank you for your music and thank you for your talent. This is for you. I hope your smiling above, knowing that your work has not been forgotten. Thank you all so much."

After leaving the stage, Cody and Heather went to their dressing room to get ready for their performance. Since they decided to not change outfits before the performance, they were given touch-ups on their makeup and doubled checked to make sure that not a hair was out of place. Since they were going to be right after The Drama Brothers they had to stand in the dark while they performed and who knew how long that would last.

Throughout the performance, Cody, Heather and their band stood on the other side in darkness as they watch Cody's former band and fellow campers bring down the house. Their performance consisted of neon lights, backup women dancers and moving around in a fashion that resembled the performances of hip-hop artists such as Kanye West and Chris Brown. Even their clothes reflected their performance. If Cody thought that their fashion during his time together was hip-hop like, he was astonished by the amount of bling and gold chains the guys wore. Throughout a performance of three songs, he shook his head in disbelief. "Did I use to really dress like that? Oh my lord." He thought to himself.

Fifteen minutes later, the Drama Brothers closed out the show, to which the audience went crazy. They clapped and shouted for what felt like an eternity. As they were about to start, the applause the Drama Brothers worried the duo. They didn't know if their performance could match to what the audience just saw. Cody and Heather looked at each other and took a deep breath before the music started.

As the intro of the song played, the people cheered since they knew what song was about to sing. The lights were dimmed and Heather stepped out to sing the first verse in the slow sorrowful manner in which the song had always been done. As soon as the first verse was done, that was his mark to start and as the lights flashed on him Cody sung,

 ** _Little white flowers_**  
 ** _Will never awaken you_**  
 ** _Not where the black coach_**  
 ** _Of sorrow has taken you._**

As Heather went back to singing, Cody happened to look at the audience and noticed that from where he was at, several people were visibly moved, based on the beauty of their performance. When they reached the duet part together, Cody couldn't help think of the sorrows and how he first wanted to end it all when he was broken, but couldn't bear to do it due to the pain of having to let hope go. All of the memories, all of the heartaches, all of the drama from the past five years came back and with a tearful weary in his voice, Cody fought back the tears as he sung:

 ** _Gloomy is Sunday_**  
 ** _With_ _shadows_ _I spend it all_**  
 ** _My heart and I_**  
 ** _Have decided to end it all._**

Throughout the rest of the song, Cody's raw emotions spread to Heather, who was crying and fighting back tears. Together, they sang the final half in a raw emotional ballad with just lighting and instruments. No special effects. No dancers. No wild movements. Just the music and the emotions. When they finished, they both were crying so much and had allowed the tears to fall freely. When the lights dimmed again, the audience roared into cheers. When the lights came back seconds later, the audience was standing and wiping their eyes. As they looked at the standing ovation, they watched major celebrities of the music world, some of whom had been teenage idols fighting back tears and clapping for them. Several of them mouthed words such as "Wow", and "Amazing." Cody and Heather just hugged each other on stage and wept into their shoulders.

* * *

After their performance was finished, the night started to go a bit faster for Cody and Heather. When they returned to their seats, they watched the remaining performances and the other major awards given out, including Song and Record of the Year, which went to The Drama Brothers. The tributes to those who departed the previous year, including Etta James and Whitney Houston, followed the Record of the Year award. Once when that was finished, everyone knew that it was time for the best award of the evening to be handed out: Album of the Year.

The familiar announcement heard all throughout the evening spoke once last time, "Please welcome to the stage, host Peter Jairo and Diana Ross." This brought the loudest cheers since everyone was ready to leave and hit the after parties, although the winners had to stay for photos and press interviews, which took up an hour of the after party time, but they often lasted until the early morning so they would still have time to kick back and lay loose.

"Album of the Year is a reward given to the artist who, according to the Grammys, helped impact music for a certain year and became a worldwide sensation." Diana Ross commented. "And these are the nominees for Album of the Year:"

 _"The nominees are:_

 _Body and Soul- Birds of Paradise_  
 _Wasting Light- Foo Fighters_  
 _Doo-Wops and Hooligans- Bruno Mars_  
 _Silence- The Drama Brothers_  
 _Loud- Rihanna."_

Cody and Heather sighed. The chances of them winning the final award were impossible. Most of the articles they read online pointed to a win for The Drama Brothers. They knew that they were the likely winners and put on their shoes, ready to leave as soon as it was over.

But little did they know that all of that was about the change.

Peter opened the envelope. "And the winner is Body and Soul- Birds of Paradise!"

Cody and Heather looked stunned for a moment before being caught in a massive hug of bouncing overly excited people. They both jumped up and down with excitement and shock. After a moment of hugging, they made their way to the stage and hugged and shook hands with everyone on the way, because not only did they win, but so did the producers, the band members, the mixers, the editors- everyone. While they were making their way to the stage, they passed The Drama Brothers without much of a thought. This was a personal triumph for both Cody and Heather and they were sending a message to their rivals and old cast mates: Don't underestimate us.

When they all finally got to the stage, Cody held the award in his hand and they gave the microphone for Heather to speak, but everyone decided that it was Cody's turn to be heard. "Thank you, thank you all so much." He spoke. "Oh wow, we never expected this, any of this. This is some sort of a comeback for me and being able to return and win this, I never thought it could happen. I want to thank our managers, our band, our fans, our producers, you guys have been amazing. But there's one person I'd like to thank the most…" At this point, tears started to build up in his eyes. "… I want to thank Heather for not only being an amazing duo partner but a wonderful and loving girlfriend. You helped me recover from the fallout I two years ago and you move my soul every day. Not only are empowering, but you inspire and took a chance with me on making this album and I look forward to whatever else the future holds in store for us and-" Cody was unable to finish since his emotions overcame him. He ran up to Heather and kissed her, to which the audience roared with cheers and applause. As they left the stage and the closing performance started, everyone was still in shock. They were not expecting not only for them to win, but for one of them, to admit that they were dating. What started as a clear certain evening had turned into the shock of the year- no doubt that this would be talked about for years and ages to come.

As they went into the press room, Cody and Heather celebrated. All of their doubts and worries were gone. They overcame their fears and the future looked brighter. But while celebration was in the air, the storm clouds were building up, just waiting to launch an assault on them. For now, they still lingered in the background, waiting just for the right moment to strike.

* * *

 **I apologize for taking so long for getting this back to you all but me and my editor had a full holiday season so this is coming to you on the last day of 2017, but it still meets my deadline of updating once a month. Now I must tell you all that we are finished with the first half of the story, something that I had planned out since I first started this and the next chapter is going to be an interlude of sorts, but I have not decided how it's going to be like but do expect it hopefully before the week of January 18th- when I go back to college for the spring semester.**

 **So what do you think of the Grammys? What did you think of the first half of the story? What do you expect will happen come the second half? Hopefully, this will be answered as soon as possible. Again, thanks to Lowland Warrior for editing the chapter and perhaps sometime down the road, I could post exerts of things and ideas that were left on the cutting room floor.**

 **Until next time! Please read, review, favor, alert, and spread the word. c:**


	6. Chapter 6

_Six (Interlude)_

 _-I don't want my life to imitate art. I want my life to be art- (Carrie Fisher)_

* * *

Unfortunately, the manuscript pages dealing with the plot following Cody and Heather's Grammy win and events that occurred during the next five years have been lost to time. But, a faithful plot recreation has been made and has been inserted here in order to help close the gap between the acts of the book **[1]**.

After the Grammys was over with, Cody and Heather saw their album return to number one on the charts and while their album of the year win did receive some controversy, they both made sure to defend the Grammys and to remind that ultimately, it didn't matter who won the award. All that mattered was the recognition of one's work.

About month later, Cody and Heather returned to the studio to start on their Christmas album and after a two month period, the album was completed. But before they could start their tour, Cody and Heather were offered the chance to write and record an original song for an upcoming movie. So they spent a few days with the movie's producer writing and recording a track called "Paradise". The track would end up winning them another Grammy the following year, along with the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Original Song.

Their tour ended up being a commercial success. Despite playing at smaller venues, all of their shows ended up being sold out and for about six months, they traveled around North America and Europe before coming back home to Canada, just in time to see their Christmas album release and become their second number one album.

Instead of starting on a third album right away, Cody and Heather decided to take a year off and rest since they considered their first phase of their career over and wanted to spend some time off before deciding what to do next. During the course of their time off, Cody purposed to Heather and they were married in a private ceremony with only a few friends and family present. For Heather, it was the happiest day of her life as she became Mrs. Anderson and despite his own family not being there, Cody was happy that he finally became part of Heather's family and could have the relatives that he always wanted but never got.

Not too long after their marriage, Cody and Heather received an offer that expanded their career into the acting field. A TV producer offered them both the lead roles in a TV movie adaption of Virginia Woolf's _Mrs. Dalloway_. They were both reluctant since they never had much acting experience before, but decided to do it since they were the only choices the director had in mind for Clarissa and Septimus respectfully. It took several months and they both studied and acted out Woolf's characters in order to make them as authentic to the novel and their efforts were rewarded with universal acclaim for their performances and resulted in the both of them being nominated for a second Golden Globe in acting and also winning a Primetime Emmy for their performances. At twenty-two years old, they both were one award away from completing the EGOT and becoming the youngest EGOT members in history.

It would be three years before they would both win a Tony award and become the youngest EGOT members in history due to them working on their third album on and off. After the success of their first two albums, Cody and Heather wanted to do jazz standards from the _Great American Songbook_. The only issue is that there were so many standards they liked that they could never narrow down the list to enough for a single album so what they opted to do instead was to record the whole songbook and release it in three parts before doing a fourth release that had all of the songbooks together in one place. This was a risky mood since a project this massive often never sold well on the market, but despite the risks they were putting in their careers- they both went on ahead with it.

While they were recording the songbook on and off, they spent a lot of time working on building their dream home and starting a family. After being married for a year and being settled into their new life, Heather became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby girl. After much debate, they settled on the name Lilac since it represented love and a new life. Two years later, Heather had a baby boy who was named Oak since it represented strength and the end of things since all Cody and Heather wanted was a boy and a girl. No more. No less. To satisfy their families, Cody and Heather gave their children official Chinese and German names- depending on which side of the family they saw, but when it was just them, they kept Lilac and Oak.

The two of them love their children so much and wanted them to have the most love and affection as possible- especially Cody since he never got to have those things when he was a child growing up. In order to prevent the same mistake from happening to their kids, Cody and Heather made their lives very private. They didn't post much on social media, turned down major aid offers and sponsorships. Both Cody and Heather turned down book deals since they felt like that their lives were not up for discussion and that no amount of money would make them turn into the drama-loving seekers they were in their early youth. They wanted to show their children that life wasn't about money, but about being happy and sincere with what they had. They did still accept offers to sing at award shows, concerts, and sports game, but those were often so far in between that it allowed them to spend more time with their children and to become the parents they always wanted to be.

When Cody and Heather finally released _The Great American Songbook_ collection, the ten year anniversary of the show was almost near. While the album was a hit with the critics and sold well separately, the merged package didn't do so well, but thankfully their recording company had recurred more modern pop artists since their success so they were able to do their own thing while not making the company lose too much money. For them both, it seemed so hard that it had been ten years since they first meet and in the process, released five albums (three if you could the merging of all three parts of TGAS), won the EGOT in a span of five years, built their dream home, got married and had two children. Their recent accomplishment prior to TGAS being released was winning the Tony for staring in the lead roles in the Cole Porter musical, _Anything Goes_.

But while Cody and Heather maintain a successful career, the same couldn't be said for some of their fellow teammates on the show. And as for the storm clouds in the air, they were about to unleash their climatic entry at any time and that was when all out war would finally break out.

That would be where the fire and rose became one **[2]**.

* * *

 **[1]- this is a pun intended toward the name of Virginia Woolf's final novel, _Between the Acts_ , that was published following her death in 1941. **

**[2]- this references the last part of "Little Gidding" which is the final part of T.S. Eliot's _The Four Quartets_. Eliot's work will be seen more in a future chapter down the road.**

 **And I'm back with another quick update! This was the plan I had all along- to divide the story into two acts of five chapters each and an epilogue and this interlude, which is designed to help explain events that occurred between both parts of the story that will be mentioned some later on in the second half. The story is designed to resemble a manuscript of sorts and the true scribe will be revealed at the end. c;**

 **So what did you all think of the interlude? What would you have liked to see different? What do you think will happen in the second half of the story? Tell me your thoughts in the reviews.**

 **And also, a late happy new year to all my readers! Thank you so much for your support!**

 **Until next time, please read, review, favor, alert, and spread the word! c:**


	7. Chapter 7

_Seven_

 _-Life is a kind of chess in which we have often_ _points to gain, and competitors, or adversaries, to contend with- (Benjamin Franklin)_

* * *

Cody and Heather were working out the details of their second major tour "Birds of Paradise present _The Great American Songbook_ " while eating breakfast. They had just sent Lilac and Oak to school and thankfully, their assistant was there helping them so they could get a moment to eat and relax. Parenthood was fun but challenging for both Cody and Heather. While having two children was great and allowed them to provide them with all of their needs and give them an equal amount of attention, it was hard for them both to maintain a strict enforcement and a system of discipline around them, but as each set of parents of a six and four-year-old respectfully knew, they had to learn and adapt as they go. Cody and Heather were relieved as they didn't have to punish their children often and when so, their kids were presented with two choices and often went with the chores options as a means of escaping physical discipline.

At the moment, however, thinking about how to raise children was the last thing on their minds. With only a few weeks left in the school year, Cody and Heather were waiting to start their tour in the fall since they wanted to take their children on a vacation to see Asia. They went to Europe the summer before and the children enjoyed it so much that Cody and Heather wanted to take them around the world and show them what it had to offer for them before they grew up and pursued their own interests. It was hard to believe that the years flew by around them.

While they were eating, they heard the phone ring and their assistant jumped up. "I'll get it!" He cried out while rushing to answer it. Cody and Heather laughed a little before returning to their food. "Uh, could one of you get this?" The assistant asked from the next room.

"I'll answer it," Cody replied as he stood up. "That's weird for Tom to ask one of us to pick up the phone. Must be really important." He pointed out to Heather before he left.

"Or someone that we know," Heather added.

"Probably," Cody said as he picked up the phone on the table and could hear Tom hang up. "Hello?"

"Hello, Cody." The voice said calmly. Cody was stunned. The person didn't call him by his last name and it didn't sound like one of his friends. "Who are you?" Cody asked.

"I am a representative at Fresh TV, who produced the Total Drama series. We at Fresh hope that you and Heather have been doing well these past few years. As you both may know, it will be the tenth anniversary of the series this summer. There have been ongoing discussions about a reunion special here at Fresh and we recognize that this event would be impossible without the contribution of those who were a part of the show, yourself and Heather included. Fresh feels that all of the contestants participation will be essential for a proper celebration of the show and what it stood for."

Cody sat there, speechless. The man spoke so fast that he didn't have much time to register what he said, but from what little his brain could gather, the network that produced the show was going to host a ten-year reunion special and wanted everyone who was on there to be a part of it. All he could manage to say was a simple, "Huh?"

"That's wonderful!" The man said, not taking Cody's question seriously. "Now the producers have noticed that you both couldn't attend the five-year reunion due to scheduling conflicts with your tour. Now, are you all preparing a second tour around the summer months?"

"Well no, but-"

"That's great Cody. Now the producers want you and Heather to meet them for lunch say today? A transport will be provided to take you to and from the restaurant and your meal will be paid for. If so, say yes."

"I guess so."

"Brilliant. I'll let them know and they will arrive at your house to pick you both up at eleven. Hopefully, we'll get to talk again soon."

After the representative hung up, Cody hung up the phone. He didn't say anything for a few second before rubbing his eyes. "Oh, Christ." He grunted.

"What's the matter?" Heather asked.

"Well, you're not going to like what I just heard." He pointed out.

"Oh come on now, Cody. It can't be that bad." She paused for a moment and raised an unsure eyebrow. "Can it?"

* * *

"This is going to end badly." Heather remarked while they were heading into the Toronto Dominion Centre to have lunch at the Canoe Restaurant Et Bar on the 54th floor, which had some of the best views of the city. "I don't understand why you couldn't have just said no."

"Well, the representative on the phone spoke so fast and left me speechless that I didn't know what to say," Cody said in his defense. "It may not be half as bad as you think."

"Probably, but if this has Chris written all over it, it won't end lightly."

Cody just shook his head as they stepped into the elevator. As they headed up to the top floor, he straightened up the tie in his suit and looked over to see Heather making sure that her hair was good, makeup was on point, and that her strapless light blue floral dress didn't get stuck in her shoes, which shouldn't be a problem, in Cody's view, considering that she was wearing flats, but then again, he thought, it was floor length so it did seem to be a good idea to check.

When the elevator opened up, Cody and Heather stepped out, trying to see where the producers were. A young man stepped out to greet them. "Mr. and Mrs. Anderson?"

"Yes." Both Cody and Heather cautiously acknowledged at the same time.

"My name is Jake. I was the representative who contacted you all this morning. I'm so glad that you both could make it. Will you follow me please?"

Cody and Heather followed Jake to a private dining room which had some of the best views of the city. Cody and Heather noticed several men and women sitting around, who they assumed to be the producers of the show. When Jake closed the doors behind him, Cody and Heather slowly walked over to the table and sat in the two remaining chairs, which had Cody and Heather sitting in front of all the producers. "Cody. Heather. So glad you could make it." One of the producers said after a moment of silence, an attempt to break the ice and get conversation flowing.

Cody and Heather didn't know what to say but smile in return, not in the last place because they had no clue who they were talking about. "Not much of a talker are you both? Well hopefully while we have lunch, you can open up a bit more. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Thomas Miller, president of Fresh Television and executive producer of the Total Drama series."

"A pleasure to meet you, sir," Cody remarked.

"Likewise," Heather added.

"There you go! You're talking! This is a step in the right direction." Thomas paused. "Jake!" He yelled. "Go and get the waiters and tell them to bring us some menus and that we're ready to order."

"On it sir."

Cody and Heather looked in awe as a sworn of waiters came in moments later and handed out menus. The president of Fresh must have deep connections as the waiters gathered everyone's orders in a flash and in a quick span of twenty minutes came back with everyone. As everyone started to eat, Jake closed the doors again and Thomas resumed speaking. "As you both know, this summer marks the ten year anniversary of the show and we are finalizing out the details for a huge reunion special that will bring you all back into the spotlight and have a chance for the public to get caught up with your lives in the ten years that have passed. Our goal is to have every single contestant participate in the reunion special. It's important to the fans and to us to have every contestant involved come back for the show and to help cement the legacy of what Total Drama was."

Cody and Heather couldn't believe what they were hearing. They knew that it was a trick in the business to where all it mattered was about the money and not their wellbeing. They knew better than to fall for that trick again. But instead of flat out saying no, both Cody and Heather decided to play their cards right to have this turn toward their advantage and not the other way around.

"Will Chris be hosting the reunion special?" Heather asked, making the first move.

"No. He won't." Thomas replied with some distaste. "Chris is serving a thirty-year prison sentence for embezzlement after we found that he had been robbing the company of millions and re-working the books to hide his scheme, so Chef will be hosting the reunion special instead."

This surprised Cody and Heather, who had no idea how Chef would run a reunion special, but they were also glad that he was finally getting the chance to be front and center, something that he only got to do once while the show aired and they remember his infamous complaints on how he wasn't tested as an equal.

"So how is the reunion going to work?" Cody added.

"In retro perspective, we plan on making it a larger, better organized and making sure that you all have a great time together. I remember that you two weren't able to attend the five-year reunion due to scheduling conflicts with your tour. Did you hear anything about that reunion?"

"I don't think so."

"Not really."

"Okay good. Well to catch you up, Chris offered to host the five-year reunion and to put everything together in a matter of time. It turned out to be a disaster since nothing was done right and it didn't help that Chris gave several of your fellow campers coke and a few of them turned up high. Some of them got drunk and it was just a total anarchy and around the time we found that out, we found out about him stealing money so we decided to plan and execute the ten-year reunion ourselves and to make sure that no mishaps will occur."

"What are your plans then?"

"Good question. We plan on hosting it over a month-long period. A month may seem too long for you guys, but it's about the right amount of time to allow us to do what we want."

"And that would be?"

"Things like a talk-show special that will be taped twice a day, once in the morning and afternoon. We'll do two contestants per day, but then, we'll do couples and friend groups in order for the fans to better know your relationships and connections to one another. On the last day, we plan on doing a live special with everyone together, but of course, you all will be together throughout the dinners and other various activities that will be offered for your convenience."

"Forgive me, but while all of this sounds nice and rosy, what does this have to do with us?" Cody asked.

"Well, I was about to get to that, but you beat me to the punch Cody," Thomas replied. "We want you all to attend the reunion. This could be a good chance for you all to get more good publicity and to come back to the origins of where your career started, which I will add that I love your music. It's so good compared to what's offered out there."

"While we appreciate the compliment, we have distanced ourselves from the show and to allow that part of our life to remain in the past." Heather pointed out, not buying the Thomas's sugarcoating.

"And I understand about the issues and potential feuds you both have with some of the cast, but we're desperate to have you there. Without you both there, the thing won't be a complete celebration and we don't want to have another riot after what happened during the five-year reunion."

"What happened?" They both asked.

"Some of the cast got into a fight with the fans over why you both weren't there and it got so out of control that the police had to come and break it up. That's why we'll be having increased security at the reunion while making sure that you all still get to spend as much time with each other as possible."

Cody and Heather shook their heads. They still didn't have a reason as to why they should attend the reunion. "While we don't want that to happen, you've still not convinced us to attend." Cody pointed out. "You've mostly told us what happened without us there."

Thomas knew that they weren't going to fall for the game he was trying to play. He realized they knew what his strategy was and managed to outsmart him in the process. He sighed in defeat. "Alright. I can't keep playing this game since you two know how it's done. The truth is that we called you in for a lunch meeting since we _need_ you both to attend the reunion. With the bad press the five-year reunion got and the fact that some of the campers have allowed the fame to go their head, we're desperate for a good word. You two are some of the more successful people the show brought forward and with you there, it can also bring back the fans and allow more revenue to be made."

"And what do you mean by revenue?" Heather asked.

"We're wanting you to perform a concert at some point during the reunion. We're wanting to televise it live and to give you guys a chance for more promotion of your image. We don't know yet if we want you to open the reunion, close it, or both. We're trying to talk with the Drama Brothers to see if they want to perform as well, although they've had several rounds of bad press lately so we don't know if we want to go that route. Every one of us in here knows your true feelings about the show and how you're not too fond of some of the cast members that will be at the reunion, but we're desperate since if the reunion fails, we'll likely go bankrupt. We've put a lot on the line to make this work and to show that Fresh television is still relevant and it could lead to a demand for more shows and allow us to reach a wider audience. Without you both there, there is no reunion special and no Fresh network and that would cause hundreds of people to be out of a job and that's the last thing we want."

Several people, who were producers and executives of the company, handed Cody and Heather files that supported their claim. They spent several minutes going through the files that were normally off-limits to outsiders. They both realized that if Fresh was indeed showing them confidential files about their finances and decline as a company, it must be a desperate move. Despite the low amount of money, the company hadn't fired anyone and paid their salaries out of their own pockets in order to try to stay afloat longer. Thinking about the possibility of hundreds of people losing their jobs was just too much for Cody and Heather. While they didn't want anything to do with the reunion, they also didn't want people to lose their jobs and be without a source of income either. After speaking about it between themselves for a moment (making sure not to let the producers and executives overhear what they were saying), they both nodded in agreement over what they decided.

After spending some time talking with the producers while finishing up their meal, Cody and Heather were able to reach a compromise that benefited both sides. In exchange for them going to reunion and doing the show, Cody and Heather asked for the freedom to use their own make-up, hair, and stylists to dress them, to be able to use their own wardrobe for any of the interviews and specials that would be taped instead of pieces provided by the show, and to donate a part of the concert profits to a charity organization of their selection.

It was decided that a preview interview would be conducted for them next week. This would be aired on television the day before the month-long reunion was to start. Although hesitant to be away from their children for such a lengthy period, Cody and Heather couldn't back out now. Unknown to either of them, their decision to attend would set off a chain of events beyond their control.

* * *

A week after the lunch meeting, several producers of the show arrived at Cody and Heather's house. It was decided that all of the interviews would take place where each contestant respectfully lived so that it could have that homely feeling the producers wanted for the first two seasons but wasn't possible due to Chris's antics. After much consideration, they decided to do it in their den, otherwise known as the EGOT room since that was where all of their awards were kept at.

As the camera crew set everything up, Cody and Heather were getting touch-ups and picking out what to wear. It was decided that a nostalgic vintage 1940's look was what they would wear for the interview due to TGAS being most popular during that decade. While Cody daunted on a different suit (having bought some more during the course of five years), Heather had a hard time deciding what to wear before selecting a white dress with a matching turban that had a past life of both being worn by Joan Crawford and the Countess from _Hotel_. Unlike previous interviews where they sat on a couch together, there were two chairs that were pulled out onto the middle of the floor and stood not far from the reward show.

"What we'll do is interview you both, but some of the questions will be for the two of you to answer while others will be an individual response. It'll be edited into two segments, covering you both respectfully that will have commentary from others as well as each other. Do you understand the basics of it?" One of the producers asked.

Both Cody and Heather nodded in approval while all of the equipment and lights were turned on. Cody and Heather sat in their chairs and faced the producer while the lights went on. It gave off a little heat, but a fan was nearby to counter the heat so it didn't affect either of them at all.

The producer, who was named Topher, smiled at both Cody and Heather. "Alright. I will be asking you both a number of questions that you will answer either together or separately. We would appreciate it if you can answer them as honest and forward as you can. We want to be able to get the best picture of you both for the fans to connect and relate to. Does that makes sense?"

"Presto." Cody and Heather said in agreement.

"Great. Let's begin." Topher looked at Cody and Heather before smiling. "Cody, you were just on the first season while Heather was on both seasons of Total Drama. How do you guys feel about the show now? And looking back, do you wish that you had acted differently?"

"Well, it depends on how you look at the show," Cody replied. "There are two sides you can look at, a good side and a bad one. Personally, my time on the show wasn't half bad. Sure, I looked like a complete idiot on national maybe even international television, but at least I didn't do half bad. It was only after the show ended and behind the scenes that things got tough for a while before it went away."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I felt like the show had done me wrong at the time when things got complicated, but I came to realize that the show had nothing to do with the issues. It was the people who allowed the fame to go their heads that caused the most of the bad side to linger around longer than it should. And thinking back, I should've acted differently. I thought that I could charm the ladies but it blew up in my face big time."

"In my experience, I see the show as a launchpad of sorts. Sure, I didn't have the exact career that was projected for me following the end of Action, but it caused a fan base to be formed that expanded after we embarked on the path that we are on now. And although I have no regrets about being ruthless on Island, I wish I had downplayed it and not caused so much of the drama that dominated the season. It proved to be my undoing in the following season." Heather pointed out.

"Heather, I must admit that I'm impressed by the music that you and your husband have done for the past eight years. During that time, you've been named a fashion icon due to the outfits you wear. Do you consider yourself to be an icon and tell me about how your looks come about." Topher inquired, legitimately interested.

"I don't consider myself to be an icon since that honor is for those who have been deceased but have left an impact on culture. I do admit that it surprises me that so many people admire my looks and cite my wardrobe as having an impact on the major fashion house collections each year. I don't just throw on clothes and go on about. I pick clothes that are neat, simple, and have a sense of elegance toward the flow and design of the outfit, right down to the fabric. I also have clothes that were worn by other celebrities that I wear out and about sometimes whether it be Elizabeth Taylor's kaftans or the outfit that I'm currently wearing which once belonged to Joan Crawford."

Topher paused for a moment before turning back to Cody. "So have you kept up with any of the other campers since the show ended?"

"Not really. Me and Heather prefer to live a rather private life despite being famous and we've seen a few of our fellow campers at some of our concerts and meet them backstage, but we've not really kept in touch with anyone. We prefer to distance ourselves from them since we don't want our children to let the fame get the best of them and make them into something that they're not."

"That's a good point actually. I never considered that before."

The interview ended up being almost two hours long since Topher lost track of time and got caught up asking about their career, their children, and so much more. Topher was surprised as to how down earth and simple, but strong-willed they both were and how they both balanced each other and had truly changed in a span of ten years. He spent so much time with them that he had enough footage to make a documentary on just them alone, but realized that he had to figure out what to submit and what to leave on the cutting room floor, though he did get their approval to do a documentary over them if he wanted to and if the company wanted to not let the extra footage go to waste. This shocked him since they normally turned down such offers from other filmmakers and had never spoken much of their lives on camera before.

* * *

A few days after the interview, Heather went out to get the mail when she noticed a plain white envelope in their mailbox. "Huh." She commented to herself as she took the mail back in. She sat down and opened the mail, saving the plain envelope last. When she opened it and unfolded the letter, she was confused by what she read. "Cody, take a look at this."

Cody read the note which was five simple words: "This is just the beginning."

"Huh, that's weird." He commented, spooked.

"You think we should do something about it?" She asked.

"I don't think so. We should wait and see if anymore letters appear."

"But what if we're in danger?"

"Heather, I highly doubt that we're in any immediate danger. That message could have several different meanings."

"I just don't want our children to be in danger." Heather declared.

"Trust me, our parental instincts would kick in if we knew that a threat was looming over us. How about we forget about this for a day or two and wait to see if anything else happens."

"Alright, but I still feel uneasy about this."

After a few days, their anxiety went away when no more mysterious notes came. It still puzzled them as to where the mysterious note came from, but despite looking through their fanmail archives, the note matched none of the letters they had on file. Although it puzzled them, they decided to move on from it since there were more urgent matters on hand.

Once when they finalized the details, Cody and Heather signed the contract for the reunion special- agreeing to abide by what the rules and speculations were, to not say anything that would give details away and so forth. Once when that was done and the ink was dried, they packed for the month-long stay at the resort that was on the island. It would feel weird to be back at the exact place where everything started, but given the fact that the resort would have all of their needs provided for, they both believed that it wouldn't be half as bad as they first thought.

* * *

June finally came around. The reunion started on the second. Although the series first aired in July, they had spent the second half of May and all of June airing, but taking away the two weeks the campers stayed at the Playa following the end of the series, the reunion would last from June 2 to July 2, ending almost on the day that the show first aired. The day before they were to head to the reunion, Cody and Heather took their children to Vancouver, where they would stay with Heather's parents during the time that they would be at the reunion.

Before they knew it, it was the morning of the reunion. They woke up early so that they would be ready to go when their transport would arrive. At approximately 8 A.M. their transportation arrived. After getting their luggage safely into the car, Cody and Heather got in and started their journey northward toward Camp Wawanakwa.

Two hours later, they arrived at the lake which had the campground in the center. A ferry transported them to the island, which was a ten-minute journey from where they were dropped off. As they arrived on the island, they could hear whistles coming from people and were greeted by a mob of fans and photographers who erupted into a sea of applause. "Welcome, Cody and Heather!" Someone shouted as people all around them took pictures.

Cody and Heather smiled and waved to some of the fans, signed some autographs for others while trying to get away from the mob as fast as they could at the same time. They were relieved that security would be available so that no crazy fans would try to break into their suite. Once when they made it passed the mob, they stopped to look at the resort, which was bigger in person than what the photos showed online. The resort had taken a flair from the Victorian Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego for its design since it dominated almost the entire waterfront that faced the dock. It was a five-story Queen Anne building with red roofs and white walls covering the whole outside. According to the pamphlet, the hotel could accommodate well over a thousand people in seven hundred rooms and had every accommodation, from tennis courts to Turkish baths, one could think of.

Once when they met up with Tom, who gave them their room keys and schedule of events, they went up to the fifth floor, where they had the Quebec suite, a French rococo style room. It was one of a set of suites named for the Canadian providences that all of the teens came from.

"According to what I heard, the whole hotel is booked solid for the next month with some people staying a few days while others are staying the whole time we're here." Cody acknowledged while unpacking.

"The fact that they're paying to stay here the whole time is outrageous. They have to either be some dedicated fans or have some deep pockets." Heather pointed out.

"But at least it's good to see a huge fanbase after all this time. Did you happen to look at the schedule Tom got for us?"

"I did. It seems that we'll be busy for several days but have some free days so it works out fine."

Cody couldn't help but notice that Heather's tone seemed a bit off, a bit more distant what it normally was. "Heather, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit reluctant and nervous about tonight's dinner." She replied while starting to put up her gowns in the wardrobe that was next to the bed.

"How come?"

"I just don't know if anyone will accept the fact that I've grown up. What if they still see as the ambitious villain who stops at nothing to get what she wants instead of the person that you know me by Cody."

"Oh Heather, as you told me years ago, you need to let the past go. You are yourself. It shouldn't matter what other people think of you. I know that you seem reluctant since it'll appear that you're going to be thrown into the lion's den and that the lions are hungry, but remember what we've done and realized that it was possible by ignoring critics or people who hated either of us for no reason."

Heather looked back at her husband and shook her head, smiling. "You're right. It seems that our roles have reversed in our marriage from where we started out."

"It seems so."

"So I'm going to let it go and enjoy myself here. I want you to do the same since nothing is going to go wrong. Understood?"

"I do."

* * *

A few hours later, Cody and Heather headed down to one of the restaurants the hotel offered for a first-night dinner that was exclusively for the cast and VIPs only. While Cody wore a simple button up shirt with a tie and dress pants, Heather picked a cream yellow knee-length floral dress that had belonged to Donna Summer in the late 1970's. She also had her hair fashioned in the wavy flowing style that Summer always had at the peak of her career as the undisputed Queen of Disco. It was just one of several vintage dresses and gowns that she brought with her.

Cody and Heather saw that the meal was an open bar seafood course with the option of wine or vodka. They grabbed their plates and ordered a bottle of white wine and sat down at one of the first empty tables they came across. They hadn't been long when a familiar voice rung out. "Is this the table where the people who call themselves birds reside at?"

"Noah!" Cody exclaimed as he jumped up to shake his hand. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise," Noah replied in a hard to explain blend of genuine cordiality and indifference. "And nice to see you, Heather."

"It's good to see one of the saner people around here." Heather pointed out. "Who's the woman with you?"

"Oh yeah! Cody, Heather, meet my wife Emma. Emma, this is-"

"No introduction is needed for them! I'm such a huge fan of your music! We've heard every album you've done!" Emma said as she shook Cody and Heather's hand. Both Emma and Noah sat down next to Cody and Heather.

"I have to admit that you both surprised me by being jazz singers. Never expected that from you both." Noah commented while eating a shrimp.

"Well it was unexpected for us both, but it's a dream come true in some many ways," Cody replied. "But enough about us! I want to hear about your life since the show Noah."

"Honestly, I've not done a lot. I went to Oxford and got my doctorate in Eastern Philosophy and Indian History. It was while at Oxford that I meet Emma. I had all but given up on romantic pursuits at that point and wanted to focus on my work, but I just felt something connect the first time we met."

"I was a bit reluctant to spend time with him at first, since I also was focused on becoming a lawyer, but Noah just opened up feelings for me that I never felt before and it took some time, but I can accept us being together and that's how it's been for the past five years."

"And what do you guys do for a living."

"Well, I work as a professor at Vancouver College while Emma works as a lawyer for the national Branch of Amazon."

"Vancouver? We've been there several times since my family lives there, but I don't remember seeing you at our concert there."

"No, I was about to transfer to Oxford and had to save all of my money so I couldn't afford a ticket."

"Well, that's too bad man. If you had said something or got in contact with us, we could have gotten you in for free."

"That's considerate of you both, but just as Emma said, your guy's albums are good and always have a higher quality than other music that's out there today so that made up for the loss."

"I know this might be random, but could I take a selfie for my sister?" Emma asked. "She's a huge fan of you guys and I promised her one."

"Sure." Cody and Heather replied as they got into Emma's camera frame and smiled as she took the picture. While she was sending that to her little sister, Noah looked anxious. "Now I must warn you both. We'll be expecting two more people to join us for dinner."

"And who would that be?"

Before Noah could hear, a familiar voice cried out, "Noah!" and they immediately knew who it was. "There you are. We've been looking everywhere for you."

"It shouldn't have been that hard to find me." Noah pointed out. Courtney just rolled her eyes. "Me and Emma decided to sit with Cody and Heather. Do you guys mind if Courtney and Duncan join?"

"We don't mind." They both replied. While Courtney and Duncan sat down, Cody and Heather wondered how things would go. Considering that they both loathed the two of them during both seasons, they didn't know if old feelings would reassure and cause a melting pot to explode on everyone.

"Well hello, guys. It's nice to see that you've made it." Courtney commented. "It's good to see that you guys have been some of the more successful people from our group."

"That's kind of you," Cody commented.

"I know that we four loathed each other, but if you think that we'll dig up old issues and reignite old feuds than put that to rest. We've not seen each other in ten years, during which we've all grown up and lived out the lives we wanted. And while I've been a popular psychologist, I've felt guilty for causing us to leave on a bad note and not have the chance to officially bury the hatchet. I wanted to do this five years ago, but you guys weren't there but could we leave the past in the past and try to build an acquaintanceship with each other?"

"Sure."

"I don't see why not."

"And let me add onto Courtney by saying that for you being so different, I never thought that you'd both work out so well. Heather, you have an actual heart and is not long the queen bee. As for pipsqueak, you've done well with your career with Heather and scoring her. You've impressed me." Duncan acknowledged.

"Well don't push your luck with the names and I think we'll get along just fine."

The group of six ended up spending the next hour talking and catching up with the two members that missed the five-year reunion. Cody and Heather were surprised to hear that Duncan turned his like around after Action and decided to become a cop and had recently been promoted to sergeant in the Montreal Police Department. They were pleased that just like Noah and Emma, both Courtney and Duncan ended up being fans of their albums, but they only ended up enjoying it after one of their violent arguments had ended and Courtney was playing music on shuffle when it came on and had to apologize to Duncan in order to get him to listen to it. They all talked about marriage, children, typical adult stuff. It dawned on Cody and Heather that they've truly grown up and have left the drama and practical nature of their teen days behind in the past.

… well almost.

While they were having dinner, the six adults could hear a rumbling noise, almost like a thundercloud outside. The only problem was that there was no thunder outside. They looked and two tables away, they could see Owen rubbing his stomach. It took Noah just one look at him to see what was wrong and he knew what was coming. He yelled, "He's gonna blow!" but before anyone had time to react, the fart came out.

This fart was more like a burst of wind experienced during the peak of a typhoon. The fart was so powerful and strong that it knocked people and tables over. The group of six went flying to the other side of the restaurant. Heather was the only one who didn't go flying since she managed to cling onto a pillar for dear life as her husband, people, dishes, wine glasses, chairs, and tables went flying past her. It didn't help that the fart reached a set of candles that caused a massive fireball to shatter all of the restaurant windows.

After it passed, the restaurant was in shambles. It appeared to look like a terror attack had taken place, but it was the result of the most unnatural fart anyone had experienced in their lives. The place smelt so toxic that everyone was running to the shoreline in order to escape the stench that dominated the whole lobby area of the hotel. Most of the campers couldn't believe it. They hadn't even been there a day and already a massive accident had occurred thanks to one of their own.

While some of the campers were receiving medical treatment in the clinic, others were trying to talk with the producers and owners of the resort to prevent things from getting out of hand while others were taking long showers and sending their clothes down to the laundry to get washed at a moment's notice.

As that was going on, an unknown man sat in one of the hotel rooms, moving pieces around on a chess board. "Step two is complete. The plan is going a lot better than what I thought. I have to make sure that the next few parts are executed without any interruptions. If I succeed, it won't be long until-" He paused as he tipped over one of the king and Queen pieces "- until you're both finished and we've all been destroyed."

* * *

 **And there we have it!** **I don't much have to say this chapter except that I'll be working on chapter eight on and off in February due to my classes getting settled in and the potential amount of work that may be assigned to me. I will also be working with Lowland Warrior on the next chapter of our co-write... whenever we decide to do an update :p**

 **This is a fun fact for you all, but did you know that I almost named the story differently? I almost called it _A Star is Born_ , from the 1954 film version staring Judy Garland. However, it just didn't fit into the story since it talked about just one star rising while the other fell into decline- which was the opposite of the plot for this story so I changed it to the title that's there now. **

**And thanks to him for the editing once again. This past month has been super stressed and crazy for me and I doubt this chapter would have made it if it hadn't been for his help. So with that out of the way,** **who's the person behind the note and Owen's gas bomb? Will we ever find out? And will I ever stop using questions? o:**

 **Until next time! Please read, review, favor, alert, and spread the word.**


	8. Chapter 8

_Eight_

 _-When you're hurt or angry, let go by tapping into your humbleness. You want people to remember you for your grace- (Stevie Nicks)_

* * *

Following the incident at the restaurant, the managers threatened to sue Owen for the destruction of property while the producers and staffers for the special tried to work on damage control. Thankfully for Owen, he avoided a potential lawsuit when several of the campers, including Courtney, Noah, and both Cody and Heather decided to pay for the damages out of their own pockets since they knew that Owen didn't have that kind of money to pay back and not to mention that although Owen was notorious for his wind breaks, he pointed out that he had become vegetarian recently due to heart problems he developed from his gluttonous eating, so it didn't make sense to any of them that a salad could cause that much damage, unless something else was added to the salad.

The next few days following this were calm. Nothing was out of the ordinary, for the most part. It was during this time that the interviews were started, going in alphabetical order by contestant, with one interview per day. It was a result of the five-year reunion when they tried to hold one big interview with all of the contestants. It resulted in sparks igniting and several fights breaking out. After the producers rejected the idea of another full interview, they thought of doing two interviews per day but that not only caused the schedule to be several days shorter than planned, but it would have meant that the contestants would have to spend all day in front of the cameras. So in order to settle this, the producers reworked the interview format to where it would be just one guest per day with Chef, the cameras, and the fans. No other contestants were to be in there so that any potential fights and injuries amongst the former campers would be prevented.

Since it was the third day of the interviews, their fifth day at the resort overall, it was Cody's turn to go in front of the cameras. "Remind me again why this was worth a 5 A.M. wake up call?" Cody asked as makeup artists were putting finishing touches on him.

"Because you can get the interview over and enjoy the rest of your day." Heather pointed out. "When it's my turn, I will have to do the same thing. We all have to do the same thing."

"I know that you're right, Heather, but for Christ's sakes, is this worth only having water and fruit for breakfast? You'd think that an interviewer wouldn't care what you ate."

"How should I know? Maybe they wanted to catch your natural look and show the audience the real you."

"Natural look my ass. If they're putting on makeup to make the lighting better there's nothing natural about that."

Instead of replying back to her husband, Heather just folded her arms. She knew that Cody would be grumpy with having a morning interview but not _this_ grumpy. The only reason why she was even with him instead of remaining in bed was to offer him a support system if he felt anxious, but she was quickly getting fed up with his grumpiness. "If you don't start acting somewhat cheery, I'll go back up to our room and go back to bed."

"Well, I don't want you to do that."

"Then for heaven's sakes, be grateful. Instead of thinking negatively about this interview, try to think about the positives I've mentioned. You just have to be with Chef for around two hours or so and then it's over."

Cody looked at his wife to reply, but she gave him one of those "I know that I'm right" looks and decided not to further their argument. Heather couldn't help but smirk. She knew her husband like the back of her hand- and knew their marriage like their back of her hand as well. People often had the illusion that their marriage was flawless and perfect, but that was only in public. It turned out that just like any other marriage, Cody and Heather had their fair share of struggles, disagreements, and rough patches, but no one knew about it- except for Tom of course, but he hardly ever said a word to anyone else so trying to get him to open up would take a miracle from God. However, they often made up their disagreements with a round of sex. Sex was something that could turn the tables either way and often had been a valuable tool during past arguments.

Before long, it was time for Cody to go out and meet Chef. As he was getting ready, he made sure that his face wasn't pale and that his suit didn't have a thread out of line. He sighed. "Chef's not going to be like Chris so hopefully I won't have to worry about diving into drama."

"I don't think so. I overheard Bridgette at dinner last night saying that Chef often focuses on you and your past ten years, with a few questions about your marriage and if you've had any interactions with the rest of us up until now- I think." Heather replied.

"I also want to say sorry for being grumpy earlier," Cody added.

"Oh don't worry, after this, we can go back up and make up for it." Heather acknowledged.

Cody released a small chuckle. He knew what Heather was talking about and loved her for it. If he didn't have to be interviewed by Chef, his inner jaguar would've come out right then and there. With a final sigh of relaxation, he kissed Heather before following an assistant toward the stage.

* * *

As he stood amongst the shadows, Cody watched Chef come out and greet the audience. "And welcome to another segment of the Total Drama Interviews!" He commented as he sat down. "As you all may already know, we have been interviewing each member of the original cast once per day. I know that you all have been excited about seeing each cast member and getting to spend a few hours with them during this time, but I know that several of you will enjoy today's special guest. Please welcome to the stage: Cody!"

While the audience erupted into cheers, Cody came out walking happily while waving to the fans. He gave Chef a high five before sitting down. "First off, thank you so much for being here!"

"Well, I wouldn't be anywhere else at seven in the morning." Cody sarcastically replied. Everyone, including Chef, broke out laughing.

"I meant being here at the reunion, but that works just as well."

"Oh, I didn't know you meant that."

After another round of laughs, Chef shook his head. "Well, why don't we start off by catching up with you. It's been ten years since you were on the show and in past interviews, you mentioned that you regret the way you acted while you were here. Could you tell the audience how it was like being on the show from your perspective and why you regret it?"

"Of course," Cody replied. "Well for one, being on the show was something I never expected. I thought that I wasn't going to be accepted when I sent in my audition tape so finding out that I got in surprised me. As far as it was from my perspective, I could've done better. If I hadn't had an oversized attitude about being cool and popular and had just remained on the ground, I might have made it further. I made myself look stupid on national television and when I rewatched it the other night, I said to myself, 'Oh God, did I act like that? Did I really made a fool of myself?' That's what happens after you see your old self in ten years, you find the flaws and realize that things would have been so much different if you had changed those flaws earlier than what you did."

"Did that make you wish you had been on Action?"

"In a sense yes. Several people had a major redemption on Action and that could've probably been the case for me, but I didn't get the million dollar case so I lost out."

"And did your time on the show help with your perspective of the world?"

"Of course. It taught me that I should not be someone that I'm not. It also showed me that when you sign a contract to do anything, they only hire certain parts of you and so you have to get rid of the parts they don't want."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean if they want you to look or weigh a certain way, you have to get rid of the parts that go above what they want. Something like that."

Chef was pleased that the interview was going great so far. However, he was afraid that Cody wouldn't talk about a certain subject, but the producers wanted him to try. "So after the show, you became part of The Drama Brothers and was there for about two years or so. Would you like to talk about that part of your life some of is that something you'd rather avoid?"

Everyone was expecting Cody to say no, but were surprised when he replied, "Sure, I can talk about that part of my life some." Cheers erupted from the audience. "I avoided that part of my life for the past eight years, but I can't run from it forever and we're all civilized adults so I don't see nothing wrong with it. Besides, I'm just telling stories, not making drama."

Chef was surprised but already knew what questions to ask. "With the band, you made just one album, Ask Me to Dance. How did it come about and how was it like in the studio with the others?"

"Honestly it's been so long that I don't remember. Shows you how old I'm getting." Cody remarked to a sea of laughter. "But I do remember that it took us about nine months to complete it since we had to keep returning to the drawing board based on feedback and criticisms from the producers. It just came in random bits and pieces and we had to weave out what we wanted. When working with the others, we each had our own jobs. Trent was the guitar player and lead vocalist. Justin was the drummer and mid vocalist. Harold was the rapper and I was the keyboard and backing vocalist. We all wrote songs, though, but we had to end up working together to make the songs since one of us would have the words, but not the sound while another would have the sound, but no words and we all had to brainstorm and figure out how to merge them together or to just start all over and work together."

"I remember hearing about your departure and the falling out between you and the other guys. When did you first notice that your relationship with the band was ending and how did it affect the tour you guys were on at the time?"

"I remember that we had a month off in between tour dates and we went to the studio to start recording material and that was when things between me and the band soured. While Trent and Harold wanted to continue the boyband image we had with our first record, I wanted to start doing a more mature sound and to expand our talent since as you make music longer, your horizons expand more. Justin decided to not help and so I ended up fighting a losing battle. I got so fed up because all of my music and lyrics were shot down that I just stopped working with them. While Justin did come around and apologize, I still wasn't on good terms with the other two when our tour resumed. It didn't help that me and Harold fought all the time. I mean, our arguments were so bad that we would only scream so much that we lost our voices, but we would throw things, cuss each other out and even got into several physical altercations. Sometimes he would start them, but other times I would. We're both equally to blame for the fighting. This lead me to stop talking to them completely since I thought that not saying anything would stop the fights, but it just made things worse."

"So it must've been hard having to perform with them on stage when you weren't talking to them off stage."

"It was. It was mere awkwardness. However, I did discover a lot of musicians on the road and I bought their records and sat and listened to them for hours, front to back, back to front. I wanted to show the band that we could have a more mature sound and still be great."

"What were some of the music you listened to?"

"Some of the music I discovered included Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks- though she's part of Fleetwood, I love her individual stuff- Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, and Journey. They all opened up doors to me and made me see music in new ways and gave me ideas for the future of the band."

"But as far as the tour went?"

"I was about to get to that. As far as the tour went, it was still okay. I honestly don't remember much of that time since I had gotten hooked on heroin and weed. I often spent most of the time sleeping, getting high, and doing the show. It was a constant cycle. Drugs seemed to be the only escape I had against my relationship with the band, which was unwinding more and more at each show. Add that to the fact that we had worked for two years non-stop, my mind was starting to collapse. It was only a matter of time before I lost my marbles and went crazy."

"And what do you mean by crazy?"

"I mean by crashing, having a nervous breakdown. That type of crazy."

"Did you go crazy after you left the band?"

"Of course I did. I had lost all of my marbles and got locked up in a nuthouse." Cody laughed uncomfortably. "Not really, but I did remember that after being kicked out of the band, Harold had the idea to play "Go Your Own Way" as I packed my stuff up from the bus and that irritated the hell out of me since they used Fleetwood's music to add onto the sting they caused. I can only remember bits and blurs until I went to Montreal to recover, but I used so much heroin and dope. I would spend days just sleeping and getting high. Finally, I realized that I needed help and that I was going to kill myself if I kept doing drugs so I drove all the way to Montreal and checked myself into a mental hospital and rehab center and spent I believe several months, though I can't remember off of the top of my head, recovering and healing from so much emotional baggage that I had allowed to pile up."

"That sounds like an awful time for you."

"Oh, trust me, it was."

"How did you manage to recover from it?"

"I spent my time doing things that were designed to help with accepting the aspect of mental illness, learning how to recover from my breakdown, and finding inner peace with myself. It was during my stay that I wrote down lots of philosophical thoughts and read several noted poets including T. S. Eliot and Rainer Maria Rilke, whose work has had the most impact on my thoughts and life. Her work was the ray of light that I needed during this time."

"And how do you look back on that time?"

"I often relook at the scraps of paper I scribbled on during that time. I plan on sorting them out and maybe make a book from them one day. I often try not to think back to that time since I've moved on from it, but I know that it'll always be a part of me that will never go away. And also, a few years ago, I had some of her words tattooed on my right arm."

"Well can we see it?" Chef asked. The audience was eager to see it they never knew Cody to be a tattoo person.

"Sure," Cody replied as he took off his suit jacket. Cody stopped as he rolled his sleeve back and pointed to the faint line on his right arm. "That's the reminder I have of the drug usage. And I put the tattoo as close to it without it overlapping to remind me of that awful time and of Rilke's philosophy."

"Where did the quote come from?"

"It came from Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" and it reads:

 _Prüfen Sie, ob er in der tiefsten Stelle Ihres_  
 _Herzens seine Wurzeln ausstrekt, gestehen_  
 _Sie sich ein, ob Sie sterben müßten, wenn es Ihnen_  
 _Versagt würde zu schreiben. Muss ich schreiben?_

"And it translates into the following in English:

 _In the deepest hour of the night,_  
 _Confess to yourself that you would rather die if you were forbidden to write._  
 _And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer,_  
 _and ask yourself, must I write?_

"It also is important since I have German roots and the German language has been an important part of my life and so having her words on my arm has not only reminded me of that time, but has reminded me of the roots and that I need to turn to the heart to understand my purpose in life and to spread my roots to those around me."

"That's very deep and personal." Chef remarked. "Is that the only tattoo you have?"

"Yes. Me and Heather made a pact just to get one tattoo on ourselves and while I got mine on my right arm, she got hers on her left arm. We're both happy with just the one tattoo. Ask her about her tattoo when she comes in a few days from now." Cody replied

"I'll make sure to," Chef added. "But you've been with Heather for eight years now. And while I could ask about how your Jazz career came about, you both have told the story before so we all know how it came to be and that it's remained quite successful. However, I want to know if you guys would ever do an album of original material."

Cody paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Actually we want to do an album of original content. We've worked on it on and off for the past six years since we would think to do it one way, make a few songs, but then end up changing our minds and going back to the drawing board. It's not the fact that we don't want to sing original stuff, but the fact that we're taking a piece of our lives and placing it out there for the world to hear. We want to make sure that the right pieces are put together so that anyone who listens to it can feel a connection to it."

"Do you have an idea as to when it might come out?"

"I have no idea."

After finishing up talking with Chef about his marriage to Heather and about being glad to see the fans again, Cody noticed that they ended up going twenty minutes over the time limit. He tried to apologize, but Chef mentioned that getting to hear about a side from Cody which was hardly ever known was worth the overtime.

* * *

When Cody made it backstage, he saw Heather sitting on a couch. He sat down and leaned his head on her shoulder. "So how did I do?" He asked.

"You did great. I'm proud of you opening up about your time with the band and being up front. Does it feel good to have that out of your conscious?" She asked.

"It does. It feels relieving."

"I'm glad. So what do you want to do now?"

"Well is your offer from earlier still on the table?"

"It is."

"Then let's do that."

Cody and Heather smirked as they left to head back to their room. The suit Cody was wearing was his own, so he didn't have to worry about returning it. He and Heather looked forward to a late morning round of lovemaking before resuming their day with lunch.

* * *

Heather didn't know what time it was. She tried going back to sleep, but she couldn't. There was something in her mind that wouldn't let her rest. As she laid there in bed, she heard a piano playing in her mind. The melody was something she never heard of before. She then heard a lyric go, "There's something in the wind.." and she shot up. This was a song in her head and she had to get it out before she lost it.

She flipped on a lamp and shook Cody. "Cody. Cody! CODY! Wake up!"

"Wha- what time is it?" He asked.

"It's 2:30."

"What is Heather? I was trying to sleep!"

"We have to hit the piano! There's a song inside my head that I want to write out before it's lost." She pointed out.

"Can it wait until the morning?" He asked.

"No! It can't! My gut has a good feeling about this." Heather replied.

"Alright." Cody sighed as he got up. Let's head down to the basement and see if we can get a song together."

"Okay, I'll grab the pad that has our lyrics on it and our sheet music and we should be good to go," Heather added while going into the next room and grabbing a notepad and a pile of miscellaneous sheet music- some empty, some completely covered in writing. After making sure that her phone was on her, she and Cody turned out their lights and headed down.

* * *

It didn't take them long to reach the basement. The hotel has a small music studio that could be worked in, but up until this point, neither Cody or Heather had used it much. Although it was rumored that the Drama Brothers used it some, it couldn't be confirmed since Cody noticed that Trent and Justin often spent time away from Harold- so he knew that something was up.

Anyways, they found that the studio was a room that had a recording booth and a few instruments, including a piano. Cody and Heather sat down at the piano. "So do you want to start with the lyrics or the melody?"

"Probably the lyrics since it's hard to remember the melody off of the top of my head." Heather pointed out.

"Okay. So how did the song go?" Cody asked his wife.

Heather grabbed a pencil and flipped to one of the empty pages on the notepad. She then scribbled:

 ** _There's something in the wind_**  
 ** _I can feel it coming in_**  
 ** _Blowing softly on the wings of a dove._**

 ** _There's something in the wind_**  
 ** _I can feel it coming it_**  
 ** _And it's coming in strong._**

"This is a great start actually. Except that the first part of the song doesn't seem right. Perhaps the melody could help me. Do you know what it was?"

Heather hummed a soft tone to her husband and noticed that he was in deep thought. "That was the tone I heard. Am I onto something?"

"Possibly." He remarked.

Cody looked at the piano and studied the keys to figure out what would match the melody Heather hummed. He played different keys until he played a combo of keys Am, G, F, and G twice. "These four keys played twice fits in with the lyrics, so we have a starting point. However, I think the lyrics need to be changed."

"Okay. What are you thinking?" She asked.

Cody grabbed the lyrics and made a few minor changes, causing the lyrics to become the following:

 ** _There's something in the wind_**  
 ** _I can feel it blowing in_**  
 ** _Softly on the wings of a dove_**  
 ** _There's something in the wind_**  
 ** _I can feel it coming in_**  
 ** _And it's coming in strong._**

"Try that." He suggested.

Heather played the keys Cody suggested while singing the revised lyrics. "This works so much better! I can see that eliminating the gap and merging the two verses into one allows for a better transaction in terms of the flow." She pointed out.

"I knew that you were onto something. Now, what's the next verse of the song?" He asked.

That was when Heather knew she was in trouble. So she called up one of their producers and together, they spent the next six hours working on the song that Heather dubbed "Change". By eight that morning, the song had been finished and Heather recorded it in one take. This made them excited since in the six years they tried to make an album, things never went right and they always ended up back at square one. They both thought that Heather's song was a Godsend and that an album could finally be made based on the concept of "Change" alone. Inspired by this, Heather and the producer helped Cody work on a song that he had written parts of some years ago.

"The chorus goes something like this:

 ** _We did it all for fame_**  
 ** _Tell me how it treats us now_**  
 ** _We did it all for fame_**  
 ** _How does that feel on the way out?_**  
 ** _Now that you've lost the game_**  
 ** _Is life being fair to you now?_**  
 ** _How are you feeling now that's over_**  
 ** _That I told you so._**

"But the problem lies in the verse prior since the pre-chorus is this,

 ** _You were so obsessed with writing the next best American record_**  
 ** _That there was nothing left by the time we got to the end_**  
 ** _And that's a shame_**  
 ** _But you were so obsessed with writing the next best American record_**  
 ** _That we did it all for fame_**  
 ** _We did it all for fame_**  
 ** _(You know what I'm talking about)_**

"The problem I run into is that 'next best American record' doesn't seem to fit. I have 'next major record' and 'next hit record' written off on the side, but they're in question marks. So what should I do?" Cody asked.

"Well we did get the chorus and the music down, but this sounds like something that we'll have to do in person and not on the phone. I would just shelve it for the next time you guys are back in town and we can meet up at the studio. You're onto something, but it might have to have a lot of work so you need to consider this maybe being a track left on the cutting room floor."

"I know, but if something can be made out of it, we can attempt it." Cody pointed out.

"Besides, we read Lana's email last night that the song we wrote for her album got cut and that we can record it, which I want to. It's too good of a song to leave out." Heather added, inserting herself into the conversation and making sure that their producer knew about the email right then and there.

"And I agree. That'll be the first thing to do when we meet up again is to record it, but I have to go now. Thank you guys for working with me on the phone."

"Don't thank me, thank my wife. She's the one who had the idea."

"That's what I meant, but thanks again Heather."

"No problem. I should thank you both for helping me get a song out of my system and roadmap toward an album started."

"Alright. Talk to you guys later."

After their producer hung up, Heather turned back to her husband. "How do you feel now than an actual roadmap is in front of us?"

"I feel great. I actually believe that we may finally give the fans something in return for supporting us for so long." Cody acknowledged.

"But we better head up and get dressed. Duncan, Courtney, Noah, and Emma are having breakfast with us in about an hour. I'm glad we decided to go with nine instead of eight, otherwise, we'd be screwed." Heather added.

"Well, you can go on back up and get ready. I'll get our stuff and clean up in here." He replied.

"Are you sure about that?" She asked.

"I'm certain." He added.

"Alright. I'll meet you back up in the room." She told him before she left. Cody shook his head before picking up the miscellaneous papers they had for their music and making sure that everything was cleaned up. He checked his phone and saw that Heather texted him and told him that she would go down to the poolside, where they were having breakfast after she got ready so that she could get some Vitamin C. Cody turned off the lights and shut the door before heading back up. He got to the corner where the elevators were and felt someone pulling him back and slamming him against the wall. In the blink of an eye, Cody saw who it was.

It was Harold.

Cody couldn't believe that Harold had him pinned to the wall. "What in God's name are you doing?!" He asked his former bandmate.

"I'm going to talk with you." Harold calmly replied.

"Are you crazy? Are you high or something?!"

"No, I'm not. Now that we're alone, I can see what I've been meaning to this whole time we've all been here. You owe me an apology."

Cody couldn't help but break out laughing when he heard Harold's request. "Dude, I'm serious. You owe me an apology for making my life miserable."

"I owe you an apology? I owe you an apology?! Nope. YOU owe ME an apology. I was not the one who threw someone out of the band because of creative differences. I was not the one who leaked a diss track in the middle of someone else's success. I was not the one tried to stir the drama pot while others were having their time in the sun. That's all on you!"

"No, it's not. I knew that you would always go after me for ruining your career and so that's why you opened up to Chef about your time with us, and the fact that I just heard you working on a song about me proves it that you want to destroy me."

"Destroy you? Are you fucking crazy?! I don't want to destroy anybody. We're all civilized adults here and quite frankly, I can say and do whatever I want. I don't need your permission. And why in the hell are you trying to bring back all of the goddamn drama from our youth!? Grow the fuck up Harold! I've had an amazing career with Heather and it's far better than being stuck in the drama hellhole that you made!"

"Don't stand there and lecture me when your so-called marriage to Heather is nothing more than a publicity stunt."

Cody finally snapped. "LET GO OF ME!" He roared as he shoved Harold away and knocked him on the ground. "I have no idea what's crawled up your ass, but you need to reevaluate the world around and come to terms that what you're thinking of is nothing more than an illusion. And don't you ever say anything like that about Heather again! If you go after my wife, she will destroy you before you can make the first move. You need to get a grip on reality and let go of the past! I don't have time for this. I got better things to do."

While Cody got in the elevator, he was trying to calm down and to not let Harold's odd behavior get to him. He knew that he was the bigger person and that he wasn't going to add fuel to that fire. Instead, he was going to put it out and move on with his day.

Harold stood there, with his face frozen in a look from hell. His eyes were filled with fire and destruction. His demeanor matched that of Lucifer himself. "So. Do you want total war? I'll show you total war. By the time it's over with, no one will be left unscathed."

* * *

While Cody was dressing and cooling down from Harold's surprise confrontation, Heather was near the pool waiting for the others to arrive and getting some much-needed sunlight. That day, she had decided to wear a lilac kaftan once owned by Elizabeth Taylor with a jeweled necklace on her neck and her hair in an early 1970's style. Heather was sitting alone, minding her own business when she heard a familiar voice call out, "Well well if it ain't miss thang herself."

Heather had a dreadful feeling on the inside. She knew who that voice came from, but wondered why it took her so long to finally talk to her. She pulled her sunglasses off of her nose and sure enough, to her horror, there stood Beth, Gwen, and Leshawna in front of her. "Hello, girls. Someway to greet a former camper after being here almost two weeks already."

"Well, we've avoided you because you're still the same person after all these years," Gwen added.

"Excuse me?" Heather asked. "And what does that supposed to mean?"

"Based on how ya look, ya still da nasty little white girl who was on the show."

"Just because I look elegant doesn't mean I am who I was on the show. Ten years can change a person, you know? I had hoped that you out of all people would've known that."

"And not to mention that you sound like Mariah Carey with laryngitis, trying to sing tenor," Beth commented.

"What is this? National insult Heather day?!" She asked.

"No, but we can't wonder if like going into a jazz career and marrying Cody, out of all people, was a motive to show the rest of us that you think you're better than the rest of us."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! You all think that I'm still the same person that I was on the show! Let me tell you three something. I am not who I was then and I certainly did not follow my career and married Cody to show that I was better than you all! Things happened for a reason and through good luck and determination, me and Cody's had a wonderful career as jazz singers and a great marriage. I have no idea what in hell you guys are seeing or hearing, but it has to start. I do not dig up old drama not get myself involved in current drama. To show you guys that I've changed, accept my olive branch and let's make peace. By making peace and seeing me as who I really am, you guys can see that I am a better person and that nothing is fake. So what do you say?"

Heather waited for an answer. It didn't take long when she saw the girls snort her offer down and for Leshawna to remark, "I'll believe ya when pigs fly" before they walked off, leaving Heather speechless.

* * *

Several minutes passed before Cody and the others came down by the poolside and they ordered breakfast. By this time, Cody, Heather, Duncan, Courtney, Noah, and Emma has became known as the big six of the reunion since they always hung out with one another and had developed an unlikely bond amongst one another. They had already made plans to stay in touch once the reunion was over and to always have a group night when Cody and Heather came to Vancouver since it turned out that Courtney and Duncan lived not far from where Noah and Emma lived, but the four of them never realized how close they were to one another until now.

As the six of them ate breakfast, Cody remarked about the encounter he had with Harold and Heather told of her run-in with Beth, Gwen, and Leshawna.

"I have no idea why they're acting this way. Surely to goodness they would've acted more like adults instead of the teen stars we used to be." Courtney pointed out.

"Between them three, Lindsay giving me the finger and cussing me out during dinner a few nights ago and Eva's threats to put me in a body bag, I don't know if I should be more concerned or not," Heather replied.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about Iron Woman," Noah added. "I had a long chit-chat with her about you and she's going to apologize, even if I have to drag her to you by her mole hair."

"But should I be worried?" Heather asked.

"Oh no. When Noah means business, he means it. And I'm married to him." Emma commented.

"As far as this whole thing goes, it's as if Harold has an agenda against me which I have no idea why. It's like that he's blaming me for everything that went wrong with his life." Cody pointed out.

"I knew that the dweeb was insane, but I didn't expect him to be almost crackhead crazy," Duncan said. "You know, I could take care of him in one move for you."

"And you will not do anything like that! I will kill you if you think about using violence on anyone here!" Courtney replied.

While they were eating their breakfast, Izzy walked up to them and smiled. "Hey, guys! Could I take your picture?"

All of six of them stopped eating. "Is this another one of your pranks for your channel?"

"No. I legit want to take your guys picture."

"Then why is your video camera with you?"

"For me to record you guys so that I can get a picture of it in case my phone dies."

Many people were surprised to hear that after the show ended, Izzy had started a YouTube channel doing pranks and vlogs. Although there was a great deal of skepticism that it wouldn't succeed, people loved Izzy's crazy stunts and six million subscribers later, she was a major YouTube star. The six adults looked at Izzy and knew that she had already recorded several pranks during the week and a half they had already been there and they were skeptical of her motives, but decided that she was telling the truth.

"Sure! We can do a picture!"

"I don't see why not."

"Well if you insist."

"I hope we don't regret this."

"Oh, you won't!" Izzy assured them as she had them stand in front of the pool together. The six adults had let their guard down. They assumed that Izzy was telling the truth, but little did they know that they wrong big time.

"Okay, I'm going to take your guys picture on the count of three. One! Two! Three!" Izzy's camera then went off with some flashes. She looked at the pictures and saw that they turned out great, but she didn't want them to know that. "Crap. They're all blurry. Let me do this one more time."

Izzy got her camera ready. "Alright. One! Two! Th-"

Before anyone could see it, Izzy pulled out an air horn and blew it loudly. The six of them were so stunned that they fell back into the pool while Izzy laughed her head off. "I can't believe that you guys fell for that! I got that on camera! This is so going on Youtube!"

The six of them emerged from the pool, all clearly pissed and angry about getting pranked.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"My kaftan's ruined now!"

"I'm going to beat the balls out of you Izzy!"

"How the hell is there a starfish in the pool?!"

"I could strangle you for this!"

"You're a pussy eating cock sucking motherfucker you asshole!"

Izzy ran off laughing as Duncan and the others got out of the pool and ran after her. Most of the teens who were eating breakfast couldn't believe their eyes as six soaked individuals ran after Izzy and proceeded to call her every name in the book. Some of them wanted to stop them from hurting Izzy, but the angry looks they had on their faces when running after the nut head was enough to change their minds.

Despite them being right on her tail, Izzy somehow managed to get away. "Damn it! She's gone." Courtney acknowledged after they returned to the lobby.

"She can't be far. There's only so many places she can hide." Heather pointed out.

"But remember this is Izzy we're talking about here. She hides in places none of us expects." Cody replied.

"So what do we do now?" Emma asked.

"I might have an idea," Noah commented.

"And what might that be?" Duncan inquired.

* * *

Owen was watching an exercise video while doing a small morning workout when he heard a knock at the door. He turned off the television and opened the door, to find Noah and the others standing there.

"Hi, little buddy!" Owen cited out. "What's up?"

"We need to talk. That's what's up." Noah replied to him as the others entered the room.

"Okay? About what?"

"About the crazy psychotic nut of person you call your wife!" Courtney yelled.

"Courtney, remember what I said? Let me do all the talking first." Noah hissed before turning back to Owen. "Look, big guy, I know that you and Izzy have a loose marriage where you both do your own thing, but you have to start controlling your wife. Her pranks are going too far."

"Aw come on guys! I'm sure you're thinking about this way out of context. I'm sure Izzy means no harm."

"Dude. She's done a prank each day we've been here. She put laxatives in DJ's pudding and we ALL had the shits for a whole day." Duncan pointed out.

"Not to mention that she covered Sadie's room in aluminum foil, dumped ink all over Tyler and Lindsay's bed, shaved Geoff's eyebrows off in the spa, and dumped spiders all over Leshawna while she took a shower," Emma added.

"Okay, maybe Izzy is taking things to an extreme, but why should I stop her? She's having fun."

Heather couldn't take it. She marched up to Owen and pointed her finger at his chest. "Because you owe us big time. Remember that we helped to pay for the restaurant damages on the first night and we told you not to worry about it. If you don't put your foot down and control Izzy until the reunion is over, I will make the remainder of your time here so fucking miserable that not even the geese can save you! And don't you think I won't do it because I'm married to Cody. Cody won't even have a chance to stop me. So either you save yourself the trouble or you will see a side of me that NOBODY has ever seen!"

Everyone froze after they heard Heather's outburst. No one said anything for a few moments before Cody broke the silence. "Heather sweetie, I probably wouldn't have gone that extreme on poor Owen, but dude, you owe us one since we did help you out with the restaurant situation. This would make us even and be paying us back."

"I guess you're right," Owen replied. "I love Izzy and want her to be happy, but I do also owe you guys so I'll take to her."

"And I want to apologize for my outburst. I'm just annoyed that I spent almost an hour getting ready only for Izzy to ruin not only my outfit but everyone else's." Heather added.

"Do you want me to pay for the dry cleaning for you guys?"

"Oh please. We all fell into chlorine water. It'll come out easily so don't worry about it but I appreciate the offer." Heather acknowledged.

"I just don't want you to think that we were bitching about your wife," Duncan commented.

"Oh no, I get what you're saying. Sometimes, even I think her pranks are extreme and I'm married to her!"

"We just don't want to end up being miserable the whole time. And plus, we're all adults here, Owen, so we should act like adults."

"I know, Courtney. This was something that I never expected from you ten years ago."

"Well, people do change in ten years." Noah pointed out.

"Oh just like how you went from kissing Cody's nipple to marrying Emma?" Owen replied, before covering his mouth after realizing what he said.

"Wait, you kissed Cody's nipple?" Emma asked. "I'm going to have to hear about this."

"Me too," Heather added.

Noah moved his pointer finger across his throat. "Owen, I'll be thanking you for years to come."

* * *

 **And with this, that wraps up another chapter of this story!**

 **But before I go, I do have some things to say. So the next chapter has already been started. Heather's interview was slated to take place toward the end of the chapter and be left off in a cliffhanger that would resume in the next chapter, but I scrapped that and moved what I had written prior to the interview to the next chapter which needs a minor revision to occur on my part before it resumes being written. Despite the next chapter already underway, there's a good chance that I could miss my monthly update schedule in April since I have six papers to do in the next month and that's going to take a chunk of my time away from writing. However, I will still make the story twelve chapters and it will be completed on its one year anniversary. I'm just not sure if it's going to make next month's deadline.**

 **Also, what do you guys think of Harold becoming the main antagonist? I've had it planned out since the beginning that Harold's obsession with fame would allow him to develop into an antagonist of the story, stopping at nothing to get what he wants. Expect the next two chapters to be the climax of the story before the falling action and conclusion (epilogue). I'm so excited to show you guys the end game. It's totally changed from my original notes and I think you all will be pleased with it. That's all I'm saying for now.**

 **And thanks again to Lowland Warrior for beta reading this and making some neat suggestions that helped complete this story! I have no idea what I would do without you! You're the best! And I do mean that with every ounce of breath in my body. :D**

 **Finally, I have a challenge/contest for you guys. As you know, each chapter has a quote at the beginning that alternates between it being told by a man or a woman. The question for you all is what is the main theme of each quote, and how does that quote and theme connect to the chapter, and in return, connect to the story. The reader who correctly connects the pieces will receive a special reward from me!**

 **Until next time! Please read, review, favor, alert, and spread the word! And as Olmec remarks in the TV show, _Legends of the Hidden Temple_ , good luck!**


	9. Chapter 9

_Nine_

 _-Accept the things which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but with all your heart- (Marcus Aurelius)_

* * *

Unlike her husband, when it came the morning of Heather's interview with Chef, she remained calm and collected while getting ready and she made sure that not a hair was out of place.

"I think this is about as good as it's going to get." She remarked while double checking her massive curly set of hair. "Do you think this looks okay?" She asked, turning to her husband sitting behind her.

"Of course, sweetheart," Cody told his wife. "Voluminous hair like this was popular during the 1970s and that's the look you're going for."

"I know, but I didn't know if having those extensions making my hair go all the way to my hips was a bit much."

"A bit much? With you? Never."

"Please Cody." Heather implied, with a light blush forming on her cheeks. "Are you just praising me because I'm your wife."

"What if I am?" He asked. "It still doesn't take away the fact that I'm married to the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world."

Heather couldn't help but smile at her husband. She loved it when he complimented her looks. Though it was hard for him to point out what looks were hot and what was not, since he was often too distracted by his wife's beauty but Heather adored his efforts. Although he more often praised, rather than critiqued, her, it added a layer of self-confidence to her. Not many people knew this, but Heather was often weary of how she looked. She always had a fear that she was never beautiful enough. She had a fear of losing Cody if she could no longer be young or beautiful. But this was kept in the deepest darkest parts of her heart, parts that not even Cody knew about.

But at the present, Heather placed her fears on the sidelines and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Heather was wearing a dark green kaftan with a diamond pattern in the middle on both sides and on the sleeves. She also had on emerald earrings, an emerald bracelet on her left hand and several emerald rings on her right hand. "You don't think this is a bit much?" Heather asked.

"I don't believe so," Cody remarked. "You're going for an Elizabeth Taylor look and you have it nailed to the T."

"At least that makes me feel a little bit better. To be quite honest, I'm a little bit nervous about being interviewed by Chef."

"How come?"

"Well, I did laxatives in his cooking during Owen's party following the end of Island. And I did often robbed his trailer of food during Action. And then there was that time that I-"

"Oh Heather. I'm sure you have nothing to fear. Remember, those occurred over ten years ago. I'm sure that a guy like Chef would not hold a grudge over childish acts such as those after all these years."

"I know, but it's Chef. He did make us do military survival challenges after all."

"But still, he's an awesome dude, despite his attitude on the show. Look. You saw how my interview went and even Duncan had an amazing time with him. You have nothing to worry about."

"Perhaps so Cody. I sometimes doubt myself over certain events. This being one of them."

"Well, don't doubt yourself today. Remember, you're not Thomas."

"I know. Now that you've said, I won't doubt myself around you ever again."

Cody was proud of his wife for realizing her errors. He was taking a page from her playbook and to point out one's mistakes. However, the playbook had been modified to where instead of criticizing one's mistakes, they were often pointed out in the hopes of being worked upon. Of course, she never actually wrote out her whole playbook, so it was hard to know directly what Heather's techniques were, but Cody knew the basics and that was enough to be on the same ground as Heather- to a certain extent.

"Two minutes until showtime." One of the producers cried out, startling the couple with knocks on the door.

"Alright, I'm on my way," Heather commented as she doublechecked her mirror image to make sure that not a hair was out of place. "Well wish me luck."

"You'll do fine, sweetheart," Cody assured her. "After we get done, we can grab lunch before doing rehearsals for the concert."

Heather sighed as she approached the door. "Well, here goes nothing." She went out and walked down the hallway leading to the studio. Like her husband several days prior, she stood amongst the shadows as Chef came out through the crowd and sat down in his chair. "Hello everyone and welcome back to this series of interviews we've been conducting over the stars of Total Drama. I'm your host, Chef Hatchet."

He paused to let the wave of applause die down. "Now today, as you all may already know, we're having one of the most revered competitors of the show. A member of the final three on the first season and notorious for her drama-making and manipulation during the first two seasons. However, you guys also know that she's married another Total Drama career and has made a successful music career while showing that even the toughest people have a heart. Without further delay, please give a well warm welcome to the Queen of Total Drama: Heather!"

Heather smiled as she stepped out and waved to the audience. Unlike most of the contestants, however, Heather stretched her arms out and done a circle walk before placing them on her hips and turning her head toward the camera. The audience went wild with her pose.

"Well, I've never had a contestant introduce themselves in such a way that you did." Chef commented after Heather sat in the comfy chair across from him. "Why did you do it?"

"Oh, you know I'm the Queen of the show and I had to give the audience proof that I live up to the title." Heather laughed.

"Well it's certainly an entrance none of us will forget." He acknowledged.

"I certainly hope so." She added while the audience laughed.

Chef paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to start Heather's interview. "As you already know, Heather, you competed in both Island and Action. You dominated Island through your dominant will and desire to make it to the finale no matter the costs. You got third place following the incident of losing your hair. You also got to compete on Action, where you surprisingly made a truce with Leshawna while seeing others taking a page from your actions on Island, and resulted in your elimination before the merge. Now that's been ten years since the show, how do you look back on your actions then? And do you feel any remorse for the way you acted?"

"This is a double-edged sword for me."

"How come?"

"Well, it's hard to explain. For the most part, I do feel remorse for the way acted since I've become a better person ever since the show ended thanks to my career and marriage. I've learned that the world values kindness and compassion and I try my best to do that, but sometimes, it's hard when some won't accept the notion that I've changed and still thinks that I'm the same manipulative, deceiving, cunning ice-cold woman after all these years. Not even being here in person has been enough to change some people's minds."

"Do you think they'll ever come to realize that you've changed?"

"At this point, probably not. However, it doesn't affect me since I'm happy with where I'm at in life right now and if people can't accept my change, it's their loss then."

"You mentioned that you've become a better person as a result of your career and marriage to Cody. Did you ever expect to not only find success with Cody but end up marrying him as well?"

"No. It took me by complete surprise.'' Heather acknowledged. ''I remember that after the show ended, I sung at bars to keep food on the table and didn't have much luck with advancing my career. It was ironic when I got signed to a new record label at the time that I reunited with Cody as well. We became close friends while making our first album, but realized that we had feelings for one another shortly before it was released. Now, we've been together almost eight years and married for six." She explained the fond memories.

Chef nodded agreeably before he replied, "How does it feel to have Cody not only as your singing partner but as your husband?"

"Absolutely wonderful. I never expected to marry him, but he's such a good person. When we're both working, he's a good partner within our duo since he always strives to give it his best and to only have the best quality in sound and vocals; he's always wanting to work on something or doing something for the band. At home, he's a dedicated and affectionate father. He helps out around his house and shares responsibility for raising Lilac and Oak. We're always a team, no matter what."

"Some people have claimed that you guys have a perfect marriage. Is that true?"

"Well, no marriage is completely perfect you know."

"Agreed." Chef quietly hummed, nodding his head slightly.

"I guess people assume that we have a flawless marriage since we don't disclose much on our private life. On the contrary, we have a normal marriage just like everyone else; we have our agreements and disagreements, our ups and downs, our fits and make-ups. We just don't show it to the world and allow the vultures to feed on it and to exaggerate the truth."

The audience applauded Heather for her answers and even Chef gave another nod of approval. "That's understandable since I also live a private life, away from the eye of the press. While Chris and others love to soak up all of the attention they can get, I'm not crazy on that. I spend most of my time in a wigwam within the countryside."

Heather broke out laughing. "A wigwam? Are you serious?"

"Oh no. I just always say that when discussing the press." Chef remarked, a little humored at his own quip. "But when Cody was here, he talked a lot about your guys career and told me several stories, such as when you guys were filming _Mrs. Dalloway_ and he placed a whoopee cushion within your director chair and when you won your first Tony that you kept apologizing to Barbra Streisand for winning what you thought was her rightful Tony, even though she insisted that you deserved it. Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"No. I'd pretty much repeat what he's already said." She added.

"Alright, but before I talk about your fashion style, I was wondering if we could see your tattoo. Cody said that you had it on your left arm and since we've never seen any photographs of it, we're all wondering how it looks like."

"Sure," Heather commented while taking the left sleeve of her kaftan and sliding it down. There, on her arm, was the following Chinese symbol: 爱 "This is the Chinese word Ài, it means to love. I have it since I want a reminder that no matter what, I will always love Cody with all of my heart. It also reminds me of the love that I have for my children and of the love that my family has for me."

"That's a very meaningful thought behind your tattoo." Chef paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to transcend into the next topic. "So what's the inspiration behind your look, with the green kaftan, the long hair and the numerous rings?"

"Well this kaftan was owned by Elizabeth Taylor during the 1970s and I purchased it at an auction last year that had the proceeds going toward charity. I've always been a huge fan of the color green, particularly emerald green and other dark shades of green since Cody thinks they draw out my eyes the most. The long hair is inspired by hair from the 1970s and is the same style of hair I've worn on our albums over the Great American Songbook and in the photo shoots, we've done.'' She explained before she presented her fingers and the countless rings on them. ''As for the rings, these were also owned by Taylor and were purchased at the same auction that I got the kaftan from. I wanted to see if I liked having numerous rings on, but I don't think I'll be doing it again. It just feels awkward for me."

"So your inspiration for most of your clothes is Hollywood glamor?"

"Not quite. Sure, Hollywood glamor is some of the inspiration, but I also take inspiration from floral patterns, soft fabrics- mainly silk and chiffon, looks from the 1940s and kimonos. So I don't necessarily have a single fashion style, but rather a merge of styles to form my own. I also have comparisons to Hedy Lamarr, in terms of beauty and what not."

"So people think that you're the most beautiful woman in the whole world?" Chef asked.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Heather commented while laughing, perhaps a little flustered. "Some of the other girls here might think that's an insult toward them, not being known as the most beautiful woman in the world for their husbands."

Heather was pleased with how the interview had gone so far. With it being almost over, with another twenty minutes according to her calculations, she decided to still relax and to let the audience see a side of Heather Anderson they never thought possible.

* * *

The night of the concert came quicker than what anyone imagined. As they were getting ready, Cody and Heather were pleased that everything had gone right up to that point. Sound practice that morning had gone without any hitches and the setlist was set without much complaint.

"Are you ready?" Heather asked while adding gardenias to her Billie Holiday inspired outfit, which would be just one of nine costume changes planned for that evening.

"I am. I just feel a little bit nervous performing in front of everyone that was on the show with us." Cody replied. "But we also have the lucky fans that'll be here to see us perform so that makes me feel a bit relieved."

Heather turned her head, making sure the gardenias weren't off. "I don't think we have anything to be nervous about, Cody, since the setlist is amazing and practice this morning was fantastic, but-"

"But what?" Asked Cody.

"I don't know. I just have a slight feeling that something's going to happen before the evening's over." Responded Heather as she felt like an ominous cloud haunted her.

"Are you sure it's not just your nerves?"

"Positive."

"I wouldn't worry. Nothing's going to happen because I'm always by your side. Don't let it get to you and affect your performance."

"You're right. I guess it's just my nerves since it's been a long time that we've done a concert and I guess I'm just a little bit afraid of being out of tune."

"You out of tune? Oh please. You're never out of tune."

"I don't know about that sweetie, but I appreciate the compliment nonetheless."

They smiled at one another, knowing that they could get through anything as long as they talked. That was what made them such a great team, their ability to talk freely and to always help one out when the out was on the verge of stumbling and messing up, though it was sometimes harder for them than what they first imagined.

* * *

After they finished getting ready, they sat in the dressing room waiting for a knock at the door. The knock would indicate that the show was about to start and that it was time for them to head toward the edge of the stage. When the knock finally came around, they quietly walked to the edge of the stage and looked out from the shadows, where they couldn't be seen, and saw the crowd sitting down and socializing, waiting for the start of the show, the other campers sitting in the center of the front row, eagerly awaiting to see how this would go, the band getting sitting around at their instruments, ready to go.

They checked the time and saw that it was showtime. The musicians picked up their instruments. The lights were dimmed, and that was the signal to go on stage. The audience applauded them as they walked out, smiling and waving back at them. They went up the microphone and waited for the noise to die down. When it finally did, the band started playing. Everyone knew what song it was since it was also the opening of their Great American Songbook collection, and their hunches were confirmed when Heather sang:

 ** _"In olden days a glimpse of stocking_**  
 ** _Was looked on as something shocking_**  
 ** _Now heaven knows, anything goes."_**

Of course, they had to start the show with "Anything Goes"! It reflected the modern atmosphere of the world around them, how anything goes now in days. It's upbeat tone, despite the message of society's morals being disregarded, often got the audience excited. Cody then swept in and added:

 ** _"Good authors too who once knew better words_**  
 ** _Now only use four letter words writing prose_**  
 ** _Anything goes."_**

While Cody and Heather were hitting the chorus of the song, the audience was following along, some snapping their fingers to the tune, and some singing along to,"And though I'm not a great romancer/I know you're bound to answer/When we propose, anything goes." That was they wanted, was for their shows to be uplifting, to have people sing along to jazz, to let their life go off to the side for a little while and to enjoy themselves while making the music dance, and seeing everything and everyone beyond the stage live up to the music fulfilled their wishes perfectly.

Once when they finished, they waved to the audience while receiving what would be just one of many rounds of applauses throughout the night. "Welcome, welcome!" Cody cried out after the audience died down. "We're so glad you could be here for our concert tonight, made possible by the producers and organizers of the Total Drama reunion currently going on."

A spotlight turned onto where the producers were sitting and they received a round of applause. "Now you might be wondering why there are video cameras in here when we have a no phone policy due to copyright issues. Well, we're hoping to turn this particular concert into a television special, maybe even have it released on DVD. We've not gotten that far yet." He added.

"I hope you guys are ready for a wonderful evening of jazz standards," Heather commented. "We have some Bille Holiday, some Great American Songbook, and hopefully a few surprises. We've spent several weeks putting these numbers together and hopefully won't lose audio again."

"Wait, when did this happen?" Cody asked while the audience broke out laughing.

Heather gave her husband one of those, 'Are you stupid looks?', adding to the audience's laughter. "Don't you remember? The first time when we went to Copenhagen for their jazz festival and we had been on stage only about twenty-five minutes when our audio went bad."

"Oh yeah, now I remember that one."

"My god, I need to knock you upside the head." Heather scoffed, though it was visible in her overwrought movement and expression that it was obviously an act.

The audience roared with laughter. "No, I'm kidding. I would never hit Cody upside the head. We're doing to bring some light-hearted humor, not dirty humor, so don't expect to wet yourselves."

"You guys should know that I'm that dumb. Heather wouldn't have married me if I was."

* * *

So that was how the show started off. They did a few numbers jazz numbers together before either Cody or Heather came out for a solo number of two before going back in a circle- thus continuing the cycle non-stop. Of course, during the show, they would also talk to the audience, sometimes in a comedic manner, sometimes in a normal manner. This format continued this away for over an hour. However, when Cody finished his solo, he announced that Heather would be doing a non-jazz song next, everyone was curious as to what was going to be sung. When Heather came out wearing a long strapless gown, with some cleavage showing, this prompted some whistles from within the audience. "I expect some wives to hit their husbands at any time," Heather suggested while the audience broke out laughing. "Oh whoops. That'll have to be edited out for the television special and DVD. I have a feeling that won't be the only thing edited out tonight. I apologize in advance." Heather gave a slightly nervous look but in a cheeky way.

"So this next number isn't a jazz number at all, as Cody's already informed you. That may puzzle some of you since you've followed my career as a jazz singer for the past eight years, but I've haven't actually done jazz for the past eight years. I actually did Broadway, with Cody, for quite some time and when I was on... well, Broadway, I did the Cole Porter musical of the same name as our opening song.'' Heather revealed, pacing around the stage a little. ''We had done the show for only a few months when I came down with a nasty flu, for which I had to miss ten performances since it was bad enough for me to be in the hospital for two weeks. A good friend of mine stepped in and took over my spot until I was well enough to perform again, though at a lower tone for another week since I had lost my voice.''

"When this same friend of mine went on maternity leave, she asked that I'd replace her for the last few shows of a musical called _Mack and Mabel_. I did the show and fell absolutely in love with one of the songs Mabel did. After we came back home, I would always either sing or hum it around the house for a long time that Cody thought that he had gone mad." Heather smiled as the audience broke out laughing. "But thankfully he didn't. Now when we were thinking of the setlist for the show, our original list was just all jazz standards, but I wanted something different. 'What do you mean by different?' He asked me. I told him that maybe some Broadway numbers and some acapella covers of songs such as "Scarborough Fair" and "Landslide". He seemed rather puzzled until I reminded him that all musicians do covers of different songs when they go on tour.

As we were discussing what to do about this suggestion, a lot of people within our band suggested that I sing the song I'm about to perform for you all since they all knew how much I loved it when I was on Broadway, but I was afraid that Cody wasn't going to be a huge fan of it. Surprisingly, he was fine with me doing it, just as long as I don't sing it non-stop for the next six months again." Heather laughed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, "Time Heals Everything".

The audience applauded as their curiosity came out when the band started playing not a light jazz upbeat that had dominated most of the evening, but a complicated melody off-Broadway itself. While Heather sang the song, some of the campers were having realizations. While Gwen was hoping that it would be over soon, her husband was watching with mere curiosity. Up until this point, Trent had thought of the concert as overall decent, noting that while jazz was a good musical genre, it wasn't his cup of tea. His opinion changed, however, when Heather started to sing the number from Mabel. He remembered growing up and his parents always played musical soundtracks and often went to musicals when their busy work schedules gave them an opportunity to do so. While his father wanted him to be a lawyer, he eventually accepted the fact that Trent was meant to be a singer.

And while Trent thought of himself as good, he was starting to believe that he might've been too quick to judge Cody and Heather. As he was hearing Heather sing, he was amazed at how good she was singing in a non-jazz style. While the Broadway music used similar instruments to jazz, the sounds were different. It made him reflect on the past few years, ever since their debut album came out, and wonder where things went wrong. It was seeing Heather performing that Trent re-evaluated the numbers Cody did within his head and started to realize that he was a talented singer. Seeing his talent not only solo but with Heather made him start to question if letting him go instead of Harold had been the best choice of action. Cody was always the quiet one, never raising his voice, always writing more songs than what they could ever use. Harold was the opposite of all those things. Trent also realized that Harold had insisted on being creative control and producer, which saw their newer albums sell fewer and fewer copies, being lesser successes than their first two. With that in mind, he made a mental note to talk with Justin after the show was over and see what they could do. He decided that Harold had to go, and even though he knew it would be impossible to have him back, he wanted to have Cody back in the group, no matter the cost.

Heather suddenly got all quiet, which worried the audience for a second, until the instrumental music picked up and unleashed her full vocal potential when she sang an all too familiar part that Bernadette Peters fans knew by heart (when asking her when she would play Mrs. Lovett of course):

 ** _"So make the moments fly_**  
 ** _Autumn, Winter_**  
 ** _I'll forget you by next year, some year_**  
 ** _Though it's hell that I'm going through_**  
 ** _Some Tuesday, Thursday_**  
 ** _April, August_**  
 ** _Autumn, Winter_**  
 ** _Next year, Some year_**  
 ** _Time heals everything."_**

When Heather finished, the audience stood up and gave a standing ovation. She smiled as Cody rushed out and kissed her. Some of the audience whistled, while most quietly admired the cute affection they had for each other.

"Now we'll be doing something we've never done before since we've noticed that some audience members have gifts for us," Cody announced. "We'll do an intermission while those who have gifts, please come onto the stage."

While some of the audience got up to use the restroom and to take a drink at the bar, several audience members went on stage, bearing gifts for Cody and Heather. Cody and Heather liked this new idea since it gave them an opportunity to be close and personal near their fans. Although their security personnel seemed skeptical at this idea, they managed to talk them into it- with the security personnel being on the side and not far in case things started to get a bit out of hand.

The fans were great and the gifts were fantastic. There were the usual flowers and stuffed animals, but some fans had gone creative and had made unique gifts for them, whether it be scrapbooks or works of original art, but there was one fan's gift in particular that stood out.

When the last person arrived on stage, a huge purple Amazonian that dwarfed both Cody and Heather, she logged onto the stage a huge oversized teddy bear that wore Cody's clothes from when he was on Total Drama. "Well, this is certainly the most unusual gift I've ever received." He remarked. "What's your name?"

"Sierra. I'm like your biggest fan ever!" She excitedly answered, shaking on the spot.

"Oh really? Well, it's nice to meet my number one fan. Would you like a picture?"

"Oh, would I ever!"

Sierra gave Heather her phone and took a picture of them together. When she gave Sierra her phone back, however, she started to take several selfies hugging Cody. It didn't bother Heather until she started to kiss Cody and trying to pick him up. "Okay! I believe that's enough." She remarked, increasingly annoyed behind the smile subtly prying Cody away from her. "Thank you so much for your gift."

After Sierra left the stage, Heather headed back to her dressing room to change into her sixth gown of the evening, a loose flowing green evening gown with purple lilacs painted onto the fabric. As she was heading into her dressing room, she overheard someone say, "I can't believe I got a picture with my Codykins! Now I just have to kidnap him from that cheap hussy and make him my own! And I know how to do it. I'm going to-"

Heather gasped in shock and quickly went into her dressing room before anyone suspected that she had overheard.

* * *

For the rest of the concert, Heather managed to still keep up with the songs and the uplifting mood of the songs, while showing her kimono styles and voluminous hair. Despite this appearance, however, she was deeply concerned by what she overheard. This didn't go unnoticed by Cody since although Heather could fool anyone, a look into her eyes always told him the truth. So after their encore was finished, they headed off stage while everyone left the theater for their after party in one of the hotel's lounges. But instead of going to the lounge right away, Cody pulled Heather off to the side. "What's the matter?" He asked. "Something's bothering you. I can tell it from your eyes. What is it?"

"You may think of me as foolish when I say this," She implied, "but when I was backstage following the interlude, I overheard someone saying that they were going to kidnap you."

Cody couldn't believe what he just heard. "What?! Kidnap me? Did you see who it was?"

"No, I didn't since they were around the corner, where no lights were, but the voice was feminine and youthful, like a girl." Heather pointed out.

"What did this girl say?"

"I didn't quite hear everything, but she did say that she got a picture with her Codykins and that she was wanting to get rid of the hussy, referring to me, so that you could be all hers. It almost sounded like that she was on the phone, but I went back to the dressing room before she finished since I was afraid of getting noticed."

"I think we should go to the hotel security and report this, see what they can do since there could be footage of whoever was back there and they can take care of it."

"No arguments for me, Cody. I'm just worried to death since I've always been afraid of losing you." She nervously stated as Cody gently took her hands.

"You have nothing to worry about. Heather. It'll take a lot more than mere threats to get rid of me." Cody assured her.

* * *

Cody and Heather's afterparty consisted of the producers, executives, Chef, and fifty exclusive fans that made up the guest list. Drinks and refreshments were provided via Cody and Heather, who decided to pay for the afterparty right out of their pockets. Everyone kept coming up to congratulate them on such an amazing concert and wanted selfies, autographs, and just a moment of their time. They decided that two hours would be a reasonable amount of time for the party, but only 45 minutes into the party, something strange was happening to Heather.

"I don't feel so well." She commented after returning from the restroom. "I just threw up my drink and everything I ate today."

"That's odd. I've never known you to do that." Cody pointed out, suspicious. On a hunch, he placed his forehead on his wife's head, his eyes widening in shock. "Oh my gosh! You're burning up sweetie. Guys! Feel this."

Courtney took it upon herself to feel Heather's forehead as well and was left puzzled why she was so hot. "I'm no expert but I think you're seriously ill," Courtney remarked.

"Before we jump to conclusions, let's backtrack a little and try to figure out how this all started. Heather, how did this happen?" Noah asked.

"I don't know. I mean, I was fine after the concert, ate a little, and had a martini, but then, after having the martini, I threw up."

"Could it be an allergic reaction?" Emma asked.

"No. I've had martinis before and this has never happened."

"This is puzzling me. Maybe we should try to figure this out together." Said Courtney.

"But what about me?"

"Why don't you go back up to our room, take a nice bath, and lay down," Cody suggested.

"Are you sure? Asked Heather. "I don't want to let the fans down."

"They'll be fine. If they ask, I just say that you don't feel well and left early. I'm sure they'll understand."

"Alright, if you insist."

Heather gave Cody a small hug, since she didn't feel well, and left the lounge. She wanted to use the elevator, but to her frustration, found that it was out of order for the night due to some maintenance work occurring. As she climbed up the grand staircase, she had no idea of what was awaiting her and the rest of her world as it was about to be shaken to the core.

* * *

Meanwhile, Leshawna was having drinks with Harold, Gwen, Trent, and a few others when she saw Heather leave. While she wasn't particularly fond of Heather, she couldn't help but feel that something was off. "Why would she leave her own after party? Heather was never someone to leave the spotlight, for better or worse." Leshawna thought to herself. She hated to admit it, but she was impressed by the concert and saw that Heather was a different person overall; however, she was still torn as to whether or not to finally call a truce for good since she knew that Harold detested her, but not as much as he detested Cody.

That was the one thing about her husband that was starting to annoy her. Sure, she detested Heather, but Leshawna came to realize that she had changed. Ever since the day at the pool, she did feel some remorse for not accepting her olive branch and tried to shrug it off, but upon seeing her being genuine toward some of the same campers she once despised, Leshawna started to wonder if Heather had really turned a leaf and was a new person as she claimed to be. However, Harold wouldn't hear of it and they fought almost the whole time since Leshawna reminded him that although she was married to him, he was not going to control her. She was her own woman and that was that.

She also didn't understand why Harold had a vendetta against Cody. Sure, she knew of the drama between him and his former bandmate, but it was like Harold was jealous of Cody's success. It was as if Harold was jealous of the fact that Cody had been able to succeed and maintain a stable career while being happily married and keeping out of the spotlight. Ever since the morning of the pool incident, she had heard nothing but Harold claiming that Cody attacked him, that he harassed him, that Cody was trying to destroy his career and his marriage, when, clearly, Harold was doing that on his own. Leshawna was reaching her limit was Harold's nonsense.

Leshawna was looking around the room and noticed that the purple ponytail Amazonian, who she learned was named Sierra, had grabbed a steak knife from the counter, stuck it in her hand purse, and walked out undetected. Leshawna had a hunch that she was up to something and decided to follow her, not allowing herself to waste time on telling the others just yet out of fear of losing the woman's trial. "Pardon me Y'all, I need to make a phone call." She announced as she quickly got up and left.

"That's fine sweetie," Harold commented, not paying attention to what Leshawna said.

Leshawna walked out of the lounge and saw Sierra heading up the stairs. She followed behind, making sure to maintain enough of a distance to follow Sierra, but to not be noticed by her.

* * *

Heather turned on the water as she took off her jewelry. She wiped her makeup off and tried to understand how she could've gotten so sick. She still felt pretty bad and hoped that the bath would help her.

After filling up the tub, Heather was about to take off the magenta silk kimono she wore at the end of the show when she heard a thumping noise coming from outside the bathroom. "What was that?" She asked aloud. She opened the bathroom door and saw that some of the drawers had been ransacked as if someone was trying to find something. Heather ran back to the bathroom where she saw Sierra holding her phone. After a moment, her face lit up with a sinister grin. She turned her head up and saw Heather in the doorway. She started to head out, but thinking quickly, Heather ran up and slammed the door.

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Heather.

"Out of my way," replied Sierra.

"I don't think so! I know what you want. I know what you're after and thank heavens I'll stop you before you reach my husband!"

"You don't know a thing-"

"Oh yes, I do. I overheard you during the intermission, from your lips, that you were going to kidnap Cody and take him as your own. It sounded like that you were on the phone with someone else. Who was it?"

"I was never on the phone! Do you know who I am?"

"You might, from your appearance, be the wife of Lucifer. Yet, you won't get any of fingers on my husband! I'm your match!"

"If you don't get out my way, you pig, I'll break your neck."

"If you want my husband, you'll have to go over my dead body."

Upon hearing those words, Sierra lunged forward and grabbed the door. Heather dug her nails into Sierra's arm and shoved her into the bathtub. Seeing Sierra in the tub gave Heather enough time to throw the door open and ran out, but before she could leave the room, she felt Sierra body slam her onto the coffee table, causing it to break and fall onto the floor.

Sierra rolled her onto her backside and started punching Heather. Heather tried to duck her blows, but Sierra used her left arm to pin Heather down while using her right to punch her face. Heather could feel the blood coming down her face and knew that she had to act. She took her feet, which she still wore her shoes, and kicked Sierra off of her. Heather grabbed a table lamp and swung it at Sierra, managing to hit her a few times before she stood back up and grabbed it from her. Sierra than proceeded to throw Heather against the wall and started hitting her with the lamp.

* * *

Leshawna, meanwhile, was starting to get out of breath. "I need to cut back on the sweets big time." She remarked while pausing to catch her breath. As she was trying to make sure that her lungs would survive the walk up five floors, she heard a crash on the other side of the wall. Curious, she went to the nearest door and upon looking within the peephole, found Sierra throwing Heather against the wall and hitting her with the lamp.

Leshawna had a gut feeling over what to do. Although she wasn't the biggest fan of Heather, to a degree now that she realized Heather was a different person, she knew that murder was wrong. She could try to go get someone but was afraid that would give Sierra enough time to finish her off. No one was going to die with Leshawna around.

"I hope I don't get a big fat bill for this." She mumbled while backing up away from the door.

* * *

Sierra flung Heather onto the floor and admired her work. Heather had blood pouring from her forehead with various bruises on her body. She was drained, her energy almost depleted. For Sierra, it was time for the final blow. "Now I'm going to finish you off, you hussy. After you're dead and gone, Cody will be mine."

Sierra slammed Heather down onto the floor and started strangling her. Heather dug her nails into Sierra's face to try and wart her off, but Sierra kept pressing down harder. "Is this it?" Heather asked herself. Sierra took the knife out of her purse and held it over Heather's heart, but before she could strike, the door was kicked in and Sierra was tacked onto the ground.

Heather gasped for air after her throat was let go of. She turned her head and saw Leshawna beating the crap out of Sierra. "Le- Leshawna?"

"I knew something was up when I saw you following Heather, but murder? What were you thinking you little bitch?" Leshawna asked while body slamming Sierra. "No one murders anybody on my watch!"

Leshawna picked up Sierra, but the Amazonian grabbed Leshawna's leg and slammed her down. Sierra than started to slam Leshawna into the wall. "I'll take care of you before finishing Heather!" She roared. Leshawna tried to fight back, but Sierra had an iron grip on her throat and kept slamming her into the wall hard, hoping for a concussion that would kill her.

Heather saw what Sierra was doing and panicked. She didn't want Leshawna to die just for her sake, but she also needed to stop Sierra before she got out of control. She saw the steak knife on the ground and picked it up. She ran over to where the girls were at. "Get off of her!" She yelled while she plunged the knife into Sierra's back.

Sierra's eyes widened at the knife entering her back. She let go of Leshawna and collapsed onto the ground. Heather panicked and started skating out of control. She tried to speak, but only sobs and tears came from her face. Leshawna stood in shock before wrapping her arms around Heather. "It's okay, girl. It's over. She won't hurt you again." She paused for a moment. "Where's your phone at?"

"In the bathroom, but I think she dropped it into the tub when we started fighting," Heather breathed while trying to calm down. "Am I going to be arrested?"

"For what? You were defending yourself, Heather. No, we need emergency personnel over here at once. We're both injured. I'll just use the phone in here."

Leshawna found the hotel's telephone on the floor, surpassingly still plugged in despite the surrounding furniture being knocked around during the struggle. She dialed the three numbers needed and hoped that everything would be okay.

"911. What's your emergency?"

* * *

Heather looked around the room within her hospital bed, wondering how things lead up to this. It didn't make sense to her. Nothing made sense. She was having an awesome time at the reunion one moment and fighting for her life at the hands of a crazy psychopath the next. She didn't understand why someone would want her dead. She had no known enemies, and she knew that her former rivals on the show wouldn't resort to murder. She distinctly remembered that their luggage was searched for weapons and since no one had left the resort the whole time, it didn't make sense to her. There were more questions than answers.

Following Sierra's ferocious attack, both Leshawna and Heather was flown to Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital for emergency treatment. Upon arriving, the girls were rushed into emergency treatment due to the state of their injuries and it was decided that they should spend up to three days in the hospital before trying to figure out what would be the next course of action.

She heard a noise, and first thought that it was Cody, but it turned out to be wheels as Leshawna's hospital bed was rolled into the room and placed in the spot adjacent to Heather's. They didn't say anything to each other for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts, wondering how this could've happened, and thankful that they weren't injured any further than what they were. "How are you feeling?" Heather asked, breaking the eerie silence.

"Okay. The doctors told me that it was a miracle I didn't get knocked out by how hard Sierra was throwing my head against the wall. They're wanting to keep me a day or two to make sure that I won't have any permanent damage." Leshawna replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. They're afraid that based on hard Sierra hit me that I might have some brain damage, but they're looking at my scans right now. I'm also a bit shaken up from all of this."

"That's understandable since I'm in the same boat as you, girl. I was terrified for my life. I had no idea that someone like her could've been so evil enough to murder anyone who got in the way of her goals."

"I'm going to have nightmares about this ordeal for a long time to come." Heather dreadfully predicted, cowering slightly.

"Girl, me too." Leshawna admitted distinctively calmer, hoping Heather would find any solace in it.

They both didn't say much for another few minutes, trying to figure out how they would go from there; trying not to let their fears slip out anymore and cause additional harm to their good beings that had been all but shattered. "Why did you do it?" She finally asked, curious as to what Leshawna's motive was.

"I did it since I had a hunch that crazy girl was up to no good when I saw her take that steak knife from the lounge and followed you up the stairs, so I went after her to make sure that she wasn't up to no good," Leshawna replied. "I also did it because even though we're not best friends and what not, you didn't deserve to die. You're a wife, a mother. Your family needs you and as I saw Sierra trying to kill ya while you were unable to do much in the self-defense department, something in me said that ya have to right a wrong."

"Right a wrong? What do you mean by that?"

"Well… I… Uh…"

"Uh, what?"

"Give me a moment! I'm trying to put my thoughts together." Leshawna cried out, annoyed at her own slip. "What I mean, girl is that I owe you an apology."

Heather was intrigued, not knowing what Leshawna wanted to apologize for. "For what?"

"I'm sorry for the way I've treated ya at the pool a few days ago. After seeing you perform earlier, I realized that you've changed based on the way ya acted on stage. I guess that I was cautious about the idea based on how you behaved in the past. And I'm also sorry for ever doubting your marriage to Cody since I can tell that he cares for you deeply. Speaking of Cody, where is he?" She genuinely apologized, but quickly changed the subject once the opportunity presented itself.

"He went down to the cafeteria to try to find some coffee. He's not stopped crying ever since he entered the ambulance with me."

"I guess he was scared of losing you and having to watch your children grow up without their mother."

"Where's Harold at?"

"He didn't even have the nerve to go with me! I don't know what's gotten up with that boy, but he's been acting strange lately."

"Strange?"

"Yes. Like, he's been avoiding much of the cast and spends most of his time writing in notebooks. And from what Gwen's told me, he's missed two rehearsals for the closing of the reunion concert. Something's fishy about him and I don't like it." Leshawna acknowledged.

"Yes, that does seem strange." Heather paused. "Have you asked him about it?"

"He insists that it's none of my business and that me not knowing will be worth my while," Leshawna replied. "Ya know, I guess that's why we both hated each other so much ten years ago. We have in more common than what meets the eye."

"We do?" Asked Heather curiously.

"Now I'm not talking fashion sense and what not. I'm talking about the fact that compare us together, and we're both strong-willed intelligent women who will do anything to see their goals accomplished, sometimes good, sometimes evil. If things had been different, we could've had a powerful alliance and had even made it to the final two ourselves."

"I never thought that I'd admit this, but you're right Leshawna. If we hadn't declared open war on one another, we both could've dominated the competition."

"Well, maybe it's not too late."

"Not too late? What do you mean?"

"Heather, I've been doing some thinking and I remember that we tried to bury the hatch and to call a truce while on the film lot, but that didn't last long. I was wondering if you would like to try that again? I know that we won't become friends overnight, but you're not a bad person ya know? I'd like to get to know ya."

"Well, I really appreciate that, Leshawna. I really do. I think we can make it work out this time, considering the circumstances we've been through, but won't Gwen be unhappy with this?"

"Actually Gwen and I are not as close as we used to. We're still best friends, but the fighting between Trent and Harold lately is starting to put a strain on our friendship."

"Oh. I'm sorry then."

"Ah, don't be. Little 'shawnie's been through much tougher times than this. I'll be okay."

About that time, Cody came back into the hospital room, not as physically upset as he was earlier. "It's nice to see you guys finally burying the hatchet. This is probably the only good that comes out of this hell of an evening." He guessed, secretly having listened on them just outside the room.

"You heard our conversation?" Heather asked with pure dismay.

"I did, but I didn't want to interrupt you guys. I just want to thank you, Leshawna, for finally believing Heather and seeing that she's officially changed. That recognition means more to me than anything else. I've always wanted Heather to be happy and seeing that she's happy at this new opportunity for her makes me happy."

"Oh no problem, Cody. I'm glad that you're doing okay. I'd also like to get to know ya if that's okay." Leshawna commented.

"Oh I'd love to get to know you also, but won't Harold not be happy with this?" Cody asked.

"At this point, I don't care. If he's not here checking up on me, then he obviously doesn't care for me. So, we're done. I'm gonna let him know as soon as we return to the resort."

"So now what's next sweetie?"

"For once, my dear, I don't know. I don't even know what tomorrow's going to hold for us anymore." Cody answered, sitting down as the fear of the uncertain future dawned upon them.

As the girls took in what Cody said, the storm clouds that had been lingering for so long finally broke open. The rain came down like the monsoons of India; dense and heavy, almost blocking the view in front of you due to its massive downpour. The wind howled as trees leaned and fell, their mighty trunks destroying the forest temples. The thunder flashed in the darkened sky, it's thunderous boom reflecting their violent mood that had occured, and unknowingly of the violence yet to happen.

What none of them realized was that they were heading toward a very dangerous unknown, with betrayal and consequences none of them would've ever imagined.

* * *

 **And I'm back!**

 **First off, I want to say that I apologize for not meeting my April monthly deadline, but I was in the middle of several college papers that had to be done for my classes so this story got pushed off to the side, but I didn't forget about it! I thought of some new plot scenes and changes to the story which I hope you guys are going to enjoy. We're almost at the end game. We just have two chapters and an epilogue left, so I hope to work on those some soon, but I'm also working on my co-write with Lowland Warrior ("No Honor Among Thieves") which I hope you guys will check out since it's such a good story. c:**

 **I'm going to be honest and say that the confrontation scene between Heather, Sierra, and Leshawna was the hardest scene in the whole story to date. I kept going back and re-writing it since I wanted it to be action-filled, but not dragged out so finding that balance was challenging. In case anyone is confused, which I hope not since the beginning of the story mentioned this, but the show ended after Action, so World Tour never occurred- meaning that Cody and Sierra never meet prior to this chapter.**

 **Hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long to write :P But I'm also working with Warrior on our story and doing some original creative writing on the side, so I'll more than likely start the next chapter the first full week in June. As a treat for making you guys wait so long for this, I'm revealing that the next chapter has several more RR characters besides Emma and Tom. Any guesses as to who those people might be?**

 **So what did you guys think of the chapter? Was Sierra a psychopath that had to be killed? And who do you Sierra was on the phone with?**

 **And once again, a HUGE thank you to Lowland Warrior for making this chapter 10,000 times better! You rock man!**

 **Until next time! Please read, review, favor, alert, and spread the word!**


	10. Chapter 10

_Ten_

 _-Every murderer is probably somebody's old friend- (Agatha Christie)_

* * *

Gwen tossed and turned in her bed. Something didn't feel quite right. It felt as if something was missing, but she couldn't see what it was. While sleeping, she took her hand and felt to see if her pillow or covers were missing, they weren't. She knew that her clothes weren't missing. They were on the floor following a round of wild sex with Trent a few hours prior, the sheets covering their naked bodies after it was over and while they fell into a bliss peaceful dreamlike sleep.

Trent, that was who was missing. Gwen shot up when she couldn't feel Trent's body next to her. She felt around the bed, checking to see if he had moved a bit further out of her arm's reach. No such a luck. She raised her head up and saw him sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, oblivious to putting on any clothes and watching something on his computer.

"Oh, he better not be doing what I think he's doing." Gwen thought to herself while getting out of bed. She checked the clock on the nightstand, seeing that it read 3:17 AM. She walked up to Trent, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hey, shouldn't you be sleeping?" He asked.

"I was asleep until I couldn't feel you." She replied. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just watching some interviews online that Cody and Heather done several years ago."

Gwen was taken back by what Trent said. Oh, I thought you were, well-"

"Oh come on Gwen!" Trent pointed out. "I'd never do that, not especially if you was in the room asleep. Besides, I have a wonderful pleasurable woman who can do more than what they do in front of a computer screen."

"Well at least I feel assured that you weren't up to doing that, Trent, but why are you watching old interviews of Cody and Heather?"

"Well, ever since we heard about the girls being in the hospital, I've can't help but wonder if this so-called 'feud' with him has gone on long enough."

"You think so?"

"Oh come on! It's not like this was my idea in the first place. Harold insisted that we do this since he thought that it would make a good publicity stunt for our image, but instead, it's backfired in our faces. It's gotten so bad that I'm just about ready to fire him from the band."

"Well, what would you do if that was to occur?" Gwen asked.

"I honestly have no idea, but that's beside the point right now. What I'm getting at is that we both have some issues between Cody and Heather and after hearing that she almost died, I want to bury the hatchet with them." Said Trent.

"I know that you want to make things right with Cody, and so do I; but Heather, that's a glass house I don't like throwing stones at."

"I know you two don't have the best history together, and I'm in the same boat with you, but haven't you been convinced that she's truly changed? How about when you saw her affections during the concert? Didn't you convince you?"

"It could've been an act you know."

"Trust me, honey, that wasn't an act since I could tell the way her eyes twinkled when she was Cody that her affections were real."

"Okay, you got me there. She might be nice toward Cody, but how do I really know that she's not the same person that she was ten years ago?"

"Well, what will convince you to change your mind? Maybe the interview segment I was about to play before you woke up?"

"I guess. Let's just see how this goes." Gwen commented while Trent pushed play on his computer.

 _"And welcome back! As you guys can see, we have Cody and Heather Anderson, the duo of singers otherwise known as Birds of Paradise. Now before the break, we were discussing their time on the former reality television show series, Total Drama, and how their time on there lead them to where they are at now." The host paused for a moment. "Now, have you both changed from how you were ten years ago, and if so, how did this come about, do you enjoy your new self, and do you have any regrets of your old self or of some of the things you've done?"_

 _"Well, I don't think I've changed that much," Cody remarked. "I was a nice guy when I was on the show, but I will admit that I had some cringe-worthy moments, but you all know about that already and I wouldn't want to bore you to tears by repeating myself. However, I've matured a lot. I'm no longer a guy who wants to charm the pants off of every woman, I give people their personal space when they need it, and I've come to realize that it took me being a fool on national television to realize that, but I wouldn't change anything for the world."_

 _While the audience applauded Cody, the host asked, "How about you Heather?"_

 _"Now I may be a case study for those who doubt that people can change." Heather acknowledged. "I remember that during the show, I was one of the most ruthless people ever. I manipulated my way to the final three in the first season, only for it to come back and haunt me the following season. I guess this came about from reflecting on the past and coming to terms with a lot of things I did- manipulating Lindsay and Beth into thinking they would make it to the finale with me, only to dump them when they had served their purpose, using my charms to destroy relationships while advancing my way to the top of the game, making enemies with all of the people who were fan favorites, and so forth."_

 _"So do you both enjoy yourselves after you started to change?"_

 _"Well of course!" They both answered._

 _"Do you both have any regrets about how you used to act?"_

 _"Naturally. I regret acting the way I did toward the ladies. But other than lamenting on that portion of my past, I don't have any regrets. I've learned not to act like a dude who just wants to get in bed with a woman and see all of my fantasies come true- not that I have any!"_

 _While the audience broke out laughing, Heather gave Cody one of those, "One word out of you and I'll not give you any later on" looks. Cody knew that he almost had a major slip up. When it came to his love life with Heather, he always knew never to step out of line since he always enjoyed sex, though Heather often found ways to make him miserable whenever he made a mammoth mistake, but not getting any was the worst punishment of them all. That punishment, in particular, often made him so miserable that he had to get down on his knees and literally beg for Heather's forgiveness._

 _"I actually do have one regret, one major regret."_

 _"And what would that be, Heather?"_

 _"I regret acting the way I did toward Gwen and Trent. I was already Gwen's main antagonist, but stooping low enough as to try and mess with her relationship with Trent was the worst thing on my part. I was just so full of anger, so full of hostilities toward her due to the pain that she caused me that I thought that if she could fell the way I felt, that we would be even. However, instead of feeling relieved when it was done, I felt worse than what I did prior to doing it. I guess you could say I felt remorse since I could see how they looked within their eyes that they were genuine lovers with one another, and that was something I wanted, but never received due to my rather cold outward appearance."_

 _"Would you go back and change this in a heartbeat?"_

 _"Absolutely. I guess, in a way, doing what I did toward Gwen was out of mere spite since we never had the chance to understand each other before we basically declared open war on each other. I lament the fact that she probably will despise me for the rest of my life, but if you and Trent ever hear this," Heather paused to wipe the tears from her eyes, "I apologize from the bottom of my heart for all of the evil things I did. I hope to formally bury the hatchet someday and extend an olive branch to you both. I know that Cody would want it since he's been hurt by you both shunning him due to our marriage, but we don't hold that against either of you."_

Trent stopped the video and looked at his wife. Gwen had tears in her eyes, finally realizing that Heather had indeed changed. Oh, what a fool she felt like! Gwen had assumed that Heather was just the same old manipulative deceiving woman that she was on the show, but thinking about the interview, about the concert, about the day at the pool made her realize that Heather had matured and developed into a true woman.

"How could I've been so wrong?" Gwen asked. "I-"

"I know. We both were wrong." Trent implied. "We both had a false perception within our minds, but now are you convinced that Heather has changed?"

"Oh yes, absolutely. How are we going to apologize to them?"

"I don't know. I'd rather wait until tomorrow and think about it."

"I agree since it's getting late and we should get some sleep."

Trent closed his laptop and headed back to bed, but before he got in, he kissed Gwen, who pressed against him. Instead of laying down to sleep, they laid down on the bed, kissing and holding each other, starting the steps to another round of passionate affection. Sleep could wait. Love making couldn't.

* * *

Upon returning to the resort several days later, Cody, Heather, and Leshawna noticed that security had increased massively ever since Sierra nearly assassinated two contestants and kidnapped a third. From the boat, they could see snipers stationed on the roof and armed guards at the dock, the entrance to the hotel, the entrance to the pool- all throughout the hotel.

As they embarked off of the boat, Cody and Heather saw Mr. Miller walking down the dock toward them. "Welcome back guys. I'm glad to see that you've recovered."

"Not necessarily recovered," Heather remarked. "Leshawna and I were fine enough to be released since there's no chance of us dying now, but the doctors still recommend a few days of rest for the both of us."

"I'll tell the staff to bring you both up all of your meals and to see to your needs." Mr. Miller commented.

"Mr. Miller, this has undoubtedly has made Heather and myself quite afraid for our lives. I don't think we can return to our old suite since that might affect us psychologically. So can we get transferred to a new suite?" Cody asked.

"I'll see to it. I'll make sure you guys get a new suite and have all of your stuff moved in." He replied.

"Well, what about all of this security personnel ya know? Will be safe from any more potential attacks on us?" Leshawna implied.

"Oh yes. We've had the Toronto Police Department send over troops and supply our guards with more secure weaponry. We're posting two guards outside each of your rooms, and we're enforcing a lockdown each night starting at 11:00 P.M. We're also having two investigators from the department arriving tomorrow and they'll be staying here several days, trying to figure out what happened and how this even occurred in the first place."

''That's a lot of police and protocol for _only_ an assassination attempt,'' Cody noted.

''Only the best for our showmakers. No matter the cost.'' Mr. Miller answered, the choice of words implying plenty to the others.

"At least it's good that we'll have some security persona around. Maybe I can sleep some tonight." Cody groaned.

"I hope so too. You've spent the past four nights hardly sleeping at all, Cody. Except for bathroom breaks and wanting something to eat, you've stayed by my side the whole time."

"Well, sweetheart. I was afraid of losing you. I couldn't imagine our children having to grow up without their mother. I didn't want to take any chances of sleeping and then waking up only to see you gone." Cody expressed, casting a sideways glance to his wife as he held her hand.

"Trust me, honey. It'll take a lot more than that Amazonian to get rid of me."

"Say, Leshawna, did Harold ever visit you when you guys were in the hospital?" Asked Mr. Miller.

"Uh, no. I was Heather and Cody the whole time and we never once saw him." Replied Leshawna.

"Huh, that's weird. He went to Toronto last evening, telling one of the staff members that he was going to see you and he returned a few hours later."

"Well, I'll make sure to have a nice chit-chat with him about that once when we get inside."

After Mr. Miller introduced the three of them to the new security guards at the front door, the guards told them that their safety would be their number one concern and that if they needed anything to just let them know.

* * *

Upon entering the hotel, several of the contestants ran up to Leshawna and hugged her, glad to see that she was okay. Cody and Heather entered a few moments later, and several others ran up to greet them.

"Dudes! I'm glad to see you're doing alright!" Geoff exclaimed.

"Uh, gee, thanks?" Questioned Heather, either not knowing how to respond to Geoff or completely shocked that he was concerned for her well being.

"I can understand your shock since this whole thing has affected all of us in some way," Bridgette added. "Hopefully any resentment any of us have toward each other can be wiped cleaned and a new slate can begin."

"Well thank you, Bridgette. I really appreciate hearing that from you."

"Say, why don't we have lunch sometime soon?" Cody suggested optimistically. "Hearing that calls for a special celebration I think."

"How about today, dudes?" Geoff excitably added.

"Oh no, I can't do today since Leshawna and I have doctor's orders to rest for a few days and to not do many activities since our bruises need to heal. We also have to a new suite since Mr. Miller has told us that our room is a crime scene and is taped off, but we'll be able to get our stuff transferred." Heather regrettably explained.

"That's understandable since you guys need your rest. Cody, dude, if you or Heather need anything just let us know."

"Alright, Geoff, I will."

After Geoff and Bridgette left to see Leshawna, Cody and Heather saw Noah, Emma, Courtney, and Duncan approach them. While Emma and Courtney gave them a hug, they were both shocked when Duncan and Noah also gave them a hug. "Normally, I don't give anyone, but Courtney, any kind of affection, but after knowing what you guys been through, I thought you might need it. I've had this occur to some of my family members so I know the pain and anxiety and worrying of when this would end if it would ever end." Remarked Duncan.

"This whole ordeal is something I never imagined would happen to us. I wouldn't want to wish this on nobody." Replied Heather.

"I don't know what's worse, this or having to go through Dante and Virgil's journey the nine layers of hell and witness all of the tortures and punishments each layer had." Added Cody.

"Uh, I say Dante and Virgil's journey since those punishments last an eternity- just saying." Acknowledged Noah.

"So do you guys have any word on the investigation so far?"

"To a degree." Implied Courtney. "They've kept it hush-hush from almost everyone, but due to my connections with some of the investigators, I've been keeping tabs on some of their information they have."

"Such as?"

Before Courtney could say so much as a syllable, they heard Leshawna yell, "YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD REASON WHY YA DIDN'T COME SEE ME! AND DON'T YA DENY IT EITHER!" and immediately knew that a verbal smackdown between her and Harold was about to become the next world war, and they had no intentions of getting caught in the middle of this conflict.

"Why don't we go up to your new suite and talk there?" Suggested Emma.

* * *

Once when Cody and Heather got their stuff out of their old suite, they found that their new suite was the Ontario suite, a Neo-Gothic styled room- further proving that each of the Canadian Provinces suites for the Total Drama contestants was done in a different style than the previous one. Before they could go to their new suite, they had to get their clothes and other accessories out of their old suite. So with the help of two policemen, Cody and Heather took the remaining clothes they've not worn, all of their music material, and Heather's jewelry, leaving the rest of their stuff to be moved at the end of the reunion. They didn't worry about the potential of theft since the room was locked and all the windows bolted shut; with the crime scene being undisturbed for the investigators to examine further.

After getting the last of their stuff into their new suite, Cody and Heather were putting everything away, once more, while the others were assisting them. "So what did you find out?" Cody asked Courtney.

"Not much. One of the things I did learn was that as soon as they took Sierra away, the hotel manager and several crime scene investigators found Sierra's room and when they entered found a mountain of evidence regarding her intention to kidnap you." Courtney pointed out.

"Such as?"

"You won't believe what I'm about to tell you, but you need to know. She had pictures of you everywhere, sadist drawings of you in chains and leather bondage, with her whipping you for pleasure, a blow-up doll version of yourself that had been regularly used, newspaper clippings over your career as far back as the first season, and some of your undergarments."

"Oh, my. I had no idea that she was **that** obsessive over me." Cody gasped, struck with posthumous fright.

"What else have you guys found out, besides the fact that this woman wanted to kidnap Cody for her own sexual pleasures and used his undergarments for God knows what," Heather added, clearly creeped out at the nature of Sierra's obsession.

"She left behind a note of sorts," Emma replied, "but it makes no absolute sense. Luckily, they made a copy for me since they thought Noah could possibly figure it out."

"Do you have the copy?" Asked Noah.

"No, I've not received it yet, but I should get in the next day or two." She commented.

"So all we have is her hotel room and a note she left behind. That's not much of a case there." Duncan implied.

"Well, I told Cody this in the hospital, but on the night of the concert, I was heading backstage to change into another gown when I overheard Sierra on the phone with someone, clearly mentioning the fact that I was on the way of her kidnapping plan. Could this mean that more than one person is involved?"

"If she was on the phone with someone, who it was is absolutely unknown, then a second person was involved. But it doesn't make sense. Heather has no known enemies, not ones that would go this far, and no one here would have a clear motive to want to harm my wife. Oh, this whole thing just torments me!"

The guys could tell that Cody was clearly upset by this whole deal, of not knowing who done this to his beloved and why; of not knowing if the threat was truly gone and the increased security measures would keep them safe or if someone within this hotel would finish the job Sierra started. "Don't let this keep you up, Cody. I know you want to find out everything behind this, but don't lament on what could've been. Instead, be glad that Heather's alive and that you still get to spend every single day with her."

"I know Noah, but it just upsets me. I'm taking this harder than Heather, and she was the one who was attacked!"

"Dude, you have to be strong for your wife, not the other way around."

"And you're right Duncan. I guess not having much sleep for the past four days is finally catching up to me."

While the guys were talking, the girls had moved from the parlor into the bedroom, helping Heather put up her clothes while she rested on the bed.

"Heather, I must say that you have some of the most beautiful one of a kind pieces I've ever seen. Where did you get dresses at? They must've cost a fortune!"

"Oh not really, Emma. Our assistant, Tom, does fashion on the side, and he's quite good. Most of my casual dresses come from him since he often knows what I want and they're of higher quality than what boutiques offer. I often pay him quite the amount per gown since he's always so kind and takes the time to see that what I imagine within my head come to life."

"Does he take commissions?"

"I would ask, Courtney. Ever since he started making dresses for me, he's taken off with orders from several well known wealthy women, but he still gives me first pick on his gown. He's gotten so busy that he gives his best friend some of the commissions and she's just as good as Tom. Well, he's gone back to Toronto to get some stuff for me, so he won't be back until tomorrow."

The girls were finishing up putting Heather's things away when the bedroom door opened. "Hey Y'all," Leshawna said while wheeling in a suitcase behind her.

"Oh, hey Leshawna. This is a surprise. I figured you'd be resting up in your room." Heather replied.

"I'll get to that momentarily. I figured I'd check on ya and see how ya doing."

"I'm quite alright. I'm resting and the girls have been helping me put everything away. They've been so kind and so patient. And the guys are keeping Cody's mind off of the attack. I just wish I could repay you guys back."

"Oh nonsense," Courtney argued, "we're doing this because you guys have gone through enough and this is a repayment for all the times we were mean to either of you during the show."

"Well, I'm glad to see ya both are doing well."

"So what brings you by?"

"Well, I wanted you guys to be one of the first to know that I walked out on Harold."

"You what?!" The girls couldn't believe what Leshawna just told them. While they knew that Leshawna and Harold had been on thin ice during the reunion and had several shouting matches during the course of almost three weeks, but this was a blindside they didn't see coming.

"I know that you guys had a massive argument in the lobby, but what happened afterward?" Emma questioned.

"As soon as he heard me, he headed back toward our room and I followed him, yelling at him the whole time, pointing out to him that he had the nerve to not see me the whole time we were there, trying to cling onto life, and he argued that he had things to do. Well, after I pointed out that a few grapevines had told me that he had gone to Toronto yesterday, he said that it was none of my concern. Now that's when I got really mad and told him that if he didn't stop and fessed up what he was doing, I would give him the cold shoulder."

"Well, what happened next?" Courtney asked.

"He grabbed one of my suitcases and hurled it at me. I had to duck as it would've hit me in the face. That was the last straw. I told him that we were finished, that if he ever threw anything at me I would leave. I also told him that once when this reunion was over, I was moving out of our house. So I grabbed the suitcase he threw at me, which he snarled that he'd already packed it before I got back, and left."

"Are you okay though? Do you need anything?" Heather added.

"Yeah, I guess I'll have to be since I'm the one who ended it, but our little girl will be so upset when she hears the news." Leshawna stated, taking the rest by surprise.

" _Our little girl_? I didn't know you had a daughter." Emma curiously inquired.

"Well, I actually just admitted that a few days ago when Chef interviewed me, right before I ended up taking an unexpected visit to the hospital. She's about four now."

"Can we see a picture of her?" Courtney requested.

"Of course." Leshawna dug out her phone and went through her pictures until she found one of just her daughter. "What do you think?" She asked while holding up the phone.

"Aww, she's adorable." Commented Courtney. "And I mean that. It's not just the shock."

"What's her name?"

"I wanted to call her Kat, but Harold managed to persuade me to name her Lilith while I was under post-birth drugs in the hospital."

"Oh yes, every woman's relief when delivering new offspring into the world," Heather added with a airy laugh.

"Maybe when I move out, I can change her name to Kat." Leshawna pondered, still not really certain whether she'll actually do.

"Lilith sounds like a name someone would have if they were cold in appearance and personality. Kat has warmth, has life, something that your daughter had." Emma pointed out.

"Well thank ya very much I appreciate that."

"Has the party moved in here?" Duncan asked while slightly smirking. "And we weren't invited?"

"Oh come on, they were just talking," Cody remarked while walking toward Heather. "How are you darling?" He asked.

"I'm fine. The girls have been helping me put away my things and Leshawna just told me that she left Harold." She replied.

"Well, this is news. Has it been coming for a while?" Added Noah.

"Pretty much. I don't know what's been up with him, but ever since we've been here at the reunion, Harold's been full of some type of malice, yet I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Maybe you'll figure it out at some point." Heather pointed out. "But now what are you going to do now that you left Harold? Knowing you, Leshawna, you won't sleep in the same room with him."

"That's why I came to y'all since I was wondering if I could stay with ya guys."

"So you want to stay with us? I figured you'd want to stay with Gwen or Bridgette." Said Cody.

"Well, from what Gwen's told me, she and Trent have got it on almost every day they've been here, and I decided not to stay with Bridgette and Geoff after what happened last time."

"Who could forget that? That practically was the big story of the five-year reunion." Courtney pointed out. When Cody and Heather looked at her confused, she remarked, "I'll fill you guys in later."

"And considering that no extra rooms are available, I don't have many options left."

"I'd let you stay with us, but Emma and I have been working together on some upcoming cases so-"

"- as a result, Duncan and I have had some lonely nights in bed."

"I hope not together."

Noah didn't realize his mistake until the others broke out laughing. "Haha, very funny."

"Hey, you walked into that one dude. We're not going to live that one down." Commented Duncan.

"So, getting back on track, could I stay with ya guys?" Leshawna pleaded with Cody and Heather.

"Of course! Though about sleeping arrangements-"

"I don't want much trouble. I can sleep on the sofa."

"Are you sure? I mean the sofa doesn't look all that comfortable."

"I'll be fine Cody. Besides, you need to be next to your wife. I'm pretty sure ya guys won't do anything intimate."

"Probably not, since Heather's recovering from her injuries; so that ship won't be sailing anytime soon."

"And also, Leshawna, with security personnel being assigned to each of our rooms, you won't have to worry about anyone trying to attack. Except for Izzy, of course, but that's a whole another ballpark besides what we're dealing with here."

At this point, seeing Cody and Heather's generosity toward her, it was hard for Leshawna not to hold back the tears. "Thank ya guys so much. I appreciate the offer. I really do. I just can't believe that this whole thing with Harold has been harder than what I imagined."

Heather grabbed a tissue and handed it to her former nemesis. "There, don't cry. Everything will be alright. We've already shed enough tears. Let's not shed any more of them."

"How about you guys go get some food to bring up here?" Cody asked. The other two couples knew right away what Cody was asking and agreed to go get them some food. They needed a few moments alone, to help Leshawna know that everything would be alright. "Leshawna, why don't you unpack your things and then when they get back, we'll eat a late breakfast or early lunch since I'm sure we're all starving. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great, but where will I put my clothes on?" Asked Leshawna.

"Put them in the wardrobe with mine." Replied Heather.

"Girl, ya didn't have to do that for little ol 'Shawnie." Leshawna insisted, obviously moved.

"But I want to. I want to repay you back for all the time we were hostile toward each other." She commented while she slowly stood up and opened the wardrobe. "Come on. Let's see what I have that you can wear for the night."

Leshawna came over and started looking through the batch of clothes that Heather had in the wardrobe. One of the first things she noticed right away was that Heather had nearly two dozen kimonos- all with designs and colors of Chinese-Asian influence, a fitting tribute to where Heather's family had originated from. "It seems that kimonos are the only night clothes I have. Will that be fine with you?" Heather asked.

"That'll be fine. Just as long as my body's covered, I'm not complaining one bit." Leshawna replied.

* * *

While the guys were downstairs having breakfast the next morning, Leshawna and Heather got dressed following a small dress viewing from Tom and Jen, Courtney and Emma made sure that nothing was out of place (thankfully nothing was). Just then, Courtney's phone rang and she answered. "Hello? Oh hey, Duncan. Are they here? Are you on your way up? Alright. See you in a moment." She hung up and placed it back in her pocket. "That was Duncan. The investigators are here and are on their way up here."

"We're almost ready!" They heard Leshawna cry out. "Give us another minute or so."

The girls finished up straightening up the living room and it was done not a moment too later for they heard the door open and sat down as the guys, and two additional women in business attire, enter the room. "How was breakfast?" Asked Courtney.

"It was good. We made a discovery and learned some vital information, but you'll hear about that momentarily." Replied Duncan. "Courtney, meet Investigator Sanders and Investigator MacArthur. Investigators, my wife Courtney Nelson."

"And my wife, Emma Akamai." Added Noah, making sure that she wouldn't be missed.

"A pleasure to meet you both. I hope you guys will be able to solve this case."

"That's what we're hoping to do, Ms. Nelson," Sanders replied.

"So do you guys have any leads or any idea who done it and why?"

"Normality Mrs. Akamai we wouldn't discuss that with you all as a police caution, but seeing you and Mrs. Nelson are lawyers and that your husband told us that you six and Mrs. McGrady have been working non-stop trying to solve this whole ordeal ever since the night of the attack, protocol is placed on the side in this case."

"Say, does anybody know where a gym around here is? I need to work on my glutes."

"MacArthur! Now is not the time for that!"

"Anytime is the right time for glutes, Sanders."

"I… uh… well… I'm not going to respond to that. We have bigger fish to fry at the moment."

Cody, meanwhile, had knocked on the bedroom door. "Sweetie? Are you and Leshawna dressed yet? They're here."

"We'll both be out there in a moment." Came Heather's reply. True to her word, a moment later, the door opened and out came the girls. Leshawna was wearing one of Heather's jumpsuits while Heather opted to go with a black and white dove patterned sweater with black pants and a pair of flats. "Hope we didn't keep you all waiting."

"Oh no. We just got up here." Cody told his wife while everyone sat down. "Heather, Leshawna, this is Investigators MacArthur and Sanders. Investigators, my wife, Heather Anderson, and close friend, Leshawna McGrady."

"Pleasure to meet ya both. I hope y'all are able to help us get through this mess."

"That's what we aim to do," Sanders commented.

"Well, it's nice to see a sense of security around you. Hopefully, nothing will go wrong while you're both here." Heather innocently suggested, not knowing that those words would end up haunting her sometime soon.

"Well, we hope so too," MacArthur added. "So let's get down to business. As I understand from the story, Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. McGrady were attacked by a woman named Sierra Wood which resulted in a 415-417A-Code 40 with an 1141 needed for both women, a 207A for Mr. Anderson and both a 1053 and a 187 for Ms. Wood."

The others looked at MacArthur with various looks of confusion on their faces. "I have a Ph.D. within Eastern Philosophy and I couldn't even understand that."

"This is why I hate codes." MacArthur spitefully mumbled to Sanders, feeling stupid over not being understood.

"You don't use codes when discussing the case with your average everyday person. You only use codes on the radio when contacting base; but what my partner was saying is that the attack resulted in a disturbance at hotel since Ms. Wood had a knife and that this had to be dealt with right away, with an ambulance needed for both Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. McGrady, an attempted kidnapping on Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Wood ended up dead."

"Dead? I thought me using the steak knife on her back didn't kill her."

"It didn't. Someone managed to get past the security we had surrounding her hospital room and slid her throat with a letter opener before she had a chance to talk."

"They gutted her like a fish. If you saw the way her throat was, you could've seen-" MacArthur stopped when everyone was wide-eyed, with some looking like they were about to lose their lunch. "On second thought, never mind."

"So with y'alls main suspect dead, how will the case be solved?"

"Normally, Mrs. McGrady, we would consider this an open and closed case, but considering Mrs. Anderson's statement about overhearing Ms. Wood on the phone and discovering over $5,000 dollars in cash within her room, we believe that someone paid her to go kidnap Mr. Anderson and eliminate Mrs. Anderson no matter what the price."

"You all don't think it's someone within the hotel?"

"We're afraid so. The hotel management told us that Ms. Wood meet in a private room with someone named Mr. Naifeh eight different times during the first two weeks of you all staying here, so we think that this Mr. Naifeh is a semblance of a hotel guest staying here."

"Well, that does make sense since if this person is staying here with us, they want to make sure that they're never found and can stay under the radar as long as possible."

"Oh, here's a copy of the note you requested Mrs. Akamai," Sanders added while handing Emma a copy of the note, who gave it to Noah. Noah placed on a pair of glasses and read the following:

 _"How unfortunate that by the time you are reading this that my crime will be done._  
 _Absolutely nothing can be done to stop me now. I won't let you get in the_ way.  
 _Right_ from _the beginning, I knew that Cody was meant to be with me and me_ alone.  
 _O_ h, _how I wanted to give you the fruits of my sexual desire- for you to be satisfied_.  
 _Loving you was my one goal, even if it meant kidnapping you from the whore you have of a_ wife.  
 _Dagger i_ n _hand, I'm ready to strike- ready to take out the only one within our way._

 _Do you know of my affection for me, my love? Do you know of my efforts to have you alone_?  
 _It was never enough. She always took you from me, ripped you from my throbbing_ bosom.  
 _Desire alone was the only word I had for you and I want you as my own, no matter the cost._

 _I will kill the whore, and take you away from all this- where you will be my prisoner and submit to me_.  
Tonight' _s the night this will happen. I'm coming for you Cody. You won't have to worry at all."_

For a few moments afterward, no one, not even the investigators said anything after Noah finished reading the note. Heather was the one who finally broke the silence. "That note confirms she was more of a creep than what I first thought."

"That note doesn't make any sense. Sierra was never a poet so why would she write a poem like note? Not to mention that the content pretty much describes her wanting to molest poor Cody." Courtney pointed out.

Noah meanwhile noticed something about the note and when he moved his hands over the rest of the note, the first letter of each line revealed a secret message that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "She hid a secret message." Noah pointed out.

"What do you mean by secret message?" His wife asked. "Is there a secret a message?"

"Oh yes, let me show you." Noah took a pen and circled the first letters so now the note looked something like this:

 _ **H**_ _ow unfortunate that by the time you are reading this that my crime will be done._  
 _ **A**_ _bsolutely nothing can be done to stop me now. I won't let you get in the way._  
 _ **R**_ _ight from the beginning, I knew that Cody was meant to be with me and me alone._  
 _ **O**_ _h, how I wanted to give you the fruits of my sexual desire- for you to be satisfied._  
 _ **L**_ _oving you was my one goal, even if it meant kidnapping you from the whore you have of a wife._  
 _ **D**_ _agger in hand, I'm ready to strike- ready to take out the only one within our way._

 _ **D**_ _o you know of my affection for me, my love? Do you know of my efforts to have you alone?_  
 _ **I**_ _t was never enough. She always took you from me, ripped you from my throbbing bosom._  
 _ **D**_ _esire alone was the only word I had for you and I want you as my own, no matter the cost._

 _ **I**_ _will kill the whore, and take you away from all this- where you will be my prisoner and submit to me._  
 _ **T**_ _onight's the night this will happen. I'm coming for you Cody. You won't have to worry at all._

"If you take all of the first letters from each line, it says, 'Harold did it'. Sierra's telling us from beyond the grave that Harold's the one behind all of this."

The others, however, were quite skeptical of Noah's theory. "Harold? Why on earth would he want me dead? I don't have any issues with him." Heather pointed out.

"I know that we both aren't friends anymore, but I highly doubt that he'd be up to kidnapping me, let alone murder someone," Cody added.

"Besides, have you seen the dude?" Duncan asked. "He's too much of a wimp to do something this horrendous."

Leshawna had a haunting chill that Noah might be right since she remembered the conversation she had with Cody and Heather a few days earlier. "Now wait a minute Y'all, let's not shoot down turkey over here. I remember that Harold went to Toronto to visit me on the night crazy girl's throat was slit. He told several people that he was going to visit me, but the three of us never saw him at the hospital. He didn't even enter the ambulance with me. Don't ya think that's a little bit suspicious?"

The four of them paused for a moment and realized that Leshawna had a valid point. "That does seem odd. Why would he not go with you, but then say a few days later that he would see you, but never arrive?" Duncan pondered.

"That does seem odd," MacArthur commented. "Did any of you notice other odd behaviors from Mr. McGrady?"

"Well, now that I think about it, Harold has been acting weird lately," Courtney commented.

"And what do you mean by acting weird, Mrs. Nelson?"

"I mean, for the last few days, he's been throwing things out, such as his personal belongings and plastic bags full of stuff. Not to mention that every time I walked past his room, I smell bitter almonds."

"Now that I remember, the martini I threw up the night of the attack smelt like bitter almonds, which I thought of as strange considering that there were olives in there."

"Mrs. Anderson, do you know what was in your drink that made it smell like bitter almonds?" Sanders asked, realizing that if what she said was true, it matched the toxicology report they done on the glass.

"No, I don't."

"That's a sign of cyanide poisoning. MacArthur, we've got to go do a little bit of searching around the hotel." Sanders stated, worried but remaining professional.

"Oh, how come?" She asked.

"Well, if what Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Nelson said is true, then Mr. McGrady is our main suspect." As they were about to head out, investigator Sanders looked at the others. "We'll come back by later and talk to you guys. You all can act normal or do a bit of snooping for us, but don't mention a word of this to anyone. We don't want this investigation compromised."

"Understood. Our lips are sealed."

After MacArthur and Sanders left, the others sat around in silence, unable to believe the possibility that Harold could be behind all of this mess. It didn't seem real. It shouldn't be real. But it was! And how they couldn't believe it! For them, it was of an illusion than reality, almost a perfect illusion to exact.

Heather broke the eery silence. "I think I'll go find Geoff and see if we can have that lunch date. I just want to get my mind off of all this for a while. I can't believe it."

"None of us. None of us can believe that this is real." Cody replied.

* * *

True to her word, Heather was able to find Geoff and arrange for him and Bridgette to have lunch with her and Cody at the outdoor Polynesian restaurant adjacent to the outdoor pool area. "Are you sure you're up to this?" Cody asked. "I think you should be resting instead of being out and about sweetie."

"Ah, phewy! I'm fine." Heather insisted. "Besides, if Harold's trying to get rid of me, I want to show him that I won't go quietly and that it'll take a lot more effort to get rid of me."

"I know, but I just don't want you to be in any immediate danger."

"Cody, there's more security personnel here than in the entire Costa Rican army! I think the chances of me being in any danger for the rest of the reunion is slim to none."

"You have a valid point; though using the Costa Rican army might be a bit much."

"Well, you know what I mean."

"Point taken."

They could see Geoff and Bridgette waving at them, indicating where their table was at. "Hey, guys!" Bridgette said as they hugged one another. "I'm so glad you both could make it."

"Yeah, dudes. I'm pleased to see you both are fine and dandy. So what do you guys think of the reunion so far?" Geoff replied while they sat down. "I think it's been a blast. Getting to see my old buds, staying in this wicked resort. It's been chill for me."

"It's been good for the most part, though I wish we weren't sitting ducks." Cody pointed out.

"No luck on who done it?" Bridgette asked.

"Not yet. Two investigators came this morning and interviewed us and Leshawna." Heather pointed out. She felt bad keeping back the information she knew, but they made a promise to MacArthur and Sanders not to spill the beans on what they knew, for the safety of the others and themselves, and to prevent the investigation from being compromised. "Though they did say that they'll be traveling back and forth between the hotel and Toronto, working on the case."

A waiter then came up and handed them several menus. "My name is Miles and I'll be your waiter today. Do you all need a moment to decide what you're going to get?" She asked.

"Yes." All four of them replied at once.

"Okay. I'll be back in a few and until then, please enjoy the nice refreshing atmosphere provided by Mother Earth."

While they were going through what was on the menu, Heather felt her phone vibrate and saw that her mother had messaged her. She became slightly worried since she didn't know if anything was wrong, but relaxed when she saw what it was. "Look, Cody, mother is taking them sailing." She commented while handing him her phone.

"They look they're having a good time. I can't wait to see them again." He replied.

"Who's having a good time?" Geoff asked while Bridgette glared at her husband- afraid that he was thinking of the wrong thing.

"Our children. Would you guys like to see them?"

"Of course! I had no idea you two had children."

"Oh yes, a girl and a boy," Cody added as he handed the phone for Geoff and Bridgette.

"Aw, they're adorable! What are their names?"

"Lilac and Oak."

"Lilac and Oak. Those are some beautiful and unique names."

"How old are they dudes?"

"Lilac's six now and Oak turned four back in March."

"They sure take after you both," Bridgette commented while handing Heather her phone. "We also have a kid ourselves."

"He's our everything," Geoff added while showing Cody and Heather a photo of their son. "This is Jude."

Before either Cody or Heather could comment about Geoff and Bridgette's Jude, they were surprised when they heard Miles go, "Are you all ready to order?"

"Yes, we are." Heather mildly added, wanting to not have any more interruptions.

"Alright what will you have miss?"

"I'll have the Lau Lau with the Tario Rolls and a Banana Guava Pie."

"And what will you have sir?"

"I'll take the Huli Huli Chicken with a Baked Sweet Potato and a Coconut Pie."

"And what will you have miss?"

"I'll go for the Baked Mahi Mahi with the Lami Lami Salmon and a Guava Cake."

"And what will you have sir?"

"I'm in the mood for the Kalua Puca with a Pipi Kaula and a Macadamia Nut Cream Pie."

"And what do you all want to drink?"

"A Banana Fruit Smoothie."

"Iced Tea with a Drop of Lemon."

"A Gin Tonic."

"A glass of water, please."

"Alright. I'll be back with your drinks in a flash."

Miles came back with their drinks five minutes later and came back with their meals twenty-five minutes after that. While they were waiting for their food, Cody and Heather discovered that Geoff and Bridgette's son, Jude, was almost ten. This confused them since neither of them ever remembered seeing Bridgette pregnant during Action. But Geoff than explained that during the Alien challenge, their make-out session got a little carried away and they ended up losing their virginities on the Alien set, which resulted in both of them getting the axe at the elimination ceremony since Chris claimed that they "desecrated his set" and that "no amount of cleaning would get those stains out."

The four of them were halfway through their meal when they heard a massive explosion. Jumping up from their seats, they ran to the dock, where the noise came from and found several boats ablaze. A massive firestorm was beginning to form and the hotel staff was trying to both make sure no one was majorly injured or got killed by the blast while getting buckets of water and hoses to put out the fire. As a crowd started to form, Noah and several others came running out. "Are you guys okay?" He asked, clearly shaken up.

"We're fine. Not a single scratch on us." Cody replied.

"All I know is that we heard a massive explosion and somehow thought ya guys got unlucky," Leshawna added.

"No we're still here," Heather commented, "and not a scratch on us."

Duncan meanwhile noticed a piece of paper taped onto a guardrail and ran over to see what it was. Upon reading it, he realized it had a major importance to the current investigation. "Uh, hey, guys! You might want to take a look at this." He cried out.

Cody and Heather and several others ran over and read the following message that had been assembled from various newspaper and magazine clips:

"This is a warning. If you all know what's good for you, you'll stay away from finding the truth. Or else one of you might end up dead next."

Heather buried her head in her heads. "This is just like the others."

"What others?" Sanders asked, spooking Heather out a little.

"Oh! Well, I didn't think this was important until now, but before Cody and I left for the reunion, we received five notes within the mail similar, if not identical, to this one. They all had different messages, but were always intended for both me and Cody." Heather pointed out.

"Do you still have the notes?"

"I do. Cody urged me to discard them, but I kept them in case they ended up being of some importance down the road."

"I'm glad you kept those since if they have any genetic material, we might be able to extract it and figure out who sent those notes-"

"- which might lead to the person who's behind this mess!" Cody cried out after realizing what Sanders was thinking of. "Does this mean that the notes could tie Harold to all of this?"

"Exactly!" She replied. "If his DNA is on the notes, we might have enough to focus in on him as the man responsible for all this. Where are the other notes at now?"

"They're at our home in Toronto."

While Cody and Heather were discussing with Sanders where the other notes were within their house, MacArthur was busy trying to remember what codes to use for reporting back to the base. "I hate codes," MacArthur grumbled while she turned on her walkie-talkie. "Unit 21 to base, we have a 1062A-261-1080 going on."

"You're taking a report from a civilian about an explosive rape?" The base asked with a sense of confusion.

"No! We have a 1043-415-1141 occurring."

"A disturbance over calling a doctor for an ambulance?!"

"No, you ninny!" McArthur scratched. "We have an explosion that occurred, we need a doctor, and it looks pretty serious."

"Oh, you mean a 1080-1043- Code 40. Rodger. 10-4."

"Finally you got it you old grumpy sod." She mumbled while she put the walkie-talkie back up.

"MacArthur!" Sanders called out as she came running up to her partner. "Is there help on the way?"

"Yes. They're on their way now." MacArthur commented.

"Good, because there's a few hotel staff that are injured from trying to put out the fire and their burns are mild, but that's not what I want to talk to you about. We have to go back to Toronto right away."

"Already? But we just got here!"

"Don't you think I know that? We need to go to the Anderson House since Mrs. Anderson just told me that she received five notes similar to one that was left for us before her and Mr. Anderson left for the reunion."

"And you think it's could be Mr. McGrudy?"

"I do, and plus, the other notes might have enough genetic material to identify him as the person who sent the notes, making him our prime suspect."

While MacArthur and Sanders left to get ready to head back to Toronto and to assure the resort owners and producers that everything was under control, Courtney and Emma came running out of the hotel.

"Ya two look like y'alls out of breath."

"We've been searching everywhere for you guys. We might have a motive behind all this." Courtney replied.

"Well, what is it then?" Duncan asked.

"We think Harold's behind all of this because…"

* * *

 **You all might hate me for leaving the chapter at a cliffhanger, but I have my intentions why since I'm wanting to make sure that I master the mystery suspense tone this arc has focused on. It might seem to be cliche, but I had no other choice since this is my first attempt at a mystery solving atmosphere within writing and I've been watching several crime shows ( _Forensic Files_ ) just to make sure that I'm doing a realistic job and not botching it up. If you all have any suggestions, do let me know! I'm all the time looking for feedback or critiques to help me understand what I need to improve upon.**

 **I want to apologize for taking so long to update. I finished this last week, but I ended up waiting to upload this after Lowland Warrior gave some feedback on the flow of the story and ended up deleting two scenes from the story, which was a small side plot in which Leshawna discovered that Harold had destroyed all of her clothes and she had nothing to wear for the rest of the reunion. Well Heather, after making amends with Leshawna, decides to give Leshawna a batch of clothes that Tom and Jen had made for her and there would've been a scene in which the girls would've interacted with the Fashion Bloggers. While it was a good side plot, it slowed down the flow of the story and had to be left on the cutting room floor. Another scene that was cut before the chapter started was a running gag to where the Drama Brothers were practicing in an adjacent room to Noah and Emma's suite, only for the suite to get destroyed and Emma throwing a pie in Justin's face. It would've added a good laugh scene, but I had a hard time trying to get it to work, so it also got left on the cutting room floor. But maybe something from the stuff that got the ax this chapter, _might_ just make a small appearance or mention within the next chapter. c:**

 **So there's only one more chapter left until the epilogue and the end of the story! Since the epilogue won't take that long to write, the next chapter of this story won't start until mid-July since I'm also working on mine and Lowland Warrior's amazing co-write ( _No Honor Among Thieves_ \- which you guys should check out if you enjoy a great heist story) and plus, I'm wanting to relax some and do some reading, painting, and real-life writing before I start my second year of college. As of now, expect the next chapter to be out sometime between the end of July and sometime before the week of August 14th since the epilogue will be published on August 22nd, the one year anniversary of this story.**

 **But so, what do you guys think of the chapter? What do you think will happen next? Will anybody make it through the story without having to die? What do you think is going to happen? And what do you guys think the future will be like once when the reunion's all over? Leave your thoughts in a review down below.**

 **And before I forget, since you guys have waited well over a month for this chapter to come out, I'll give you a slight hint to one of the things that'll be featured in the next chapter. Three words: explosive cherry jubilee.**

 **Until next time! Please read, review, favor, alert, and spread the word. :D**

 **P.S.- I apologize for the long AN this time. I had more to say following this chapter than what previous others. I should be done right about now- *signal lost***


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